ST AUGUSTINE UNIVERSITY OF TANZANIA

FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND COMMUNICATION

THE ROLE OF WHATSAPP NETWORK IN SOLVING SOCIO-

ECONOMIC PROBLEMS FACING UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN
TANZANIA: A CASE STUDY OF ST AUGUSTINE UNIVERSITY OF
TANZANIA, MWANZA MAIN CAMPUS

BY

BAKARI ISSA

BAMC 64558

AUGUST, 2020
 CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Introduction

This chapter focus on the Background of the study, Significance of the study ,Statement of the
problem, Objectives of the study, Research questions / hypothesis’s ,The purposes of the study
/Significance of the study ,Scope of the study as well as limitation of the study and the
Definitions of the keys terms and the conclusion

1.2 Background of the Study.

WhatsAppp is a smartphones application that operates on different operating system such as an

Android , ios, KaiO (There are windows , macos, and web app clients that work only in
presence of a connected mobile app client. Therefore the coming and announcement for
WhatsApp as new browser in the internent industry in the world creats new development in he
communication where by nertwork connected with the application system was very faster than
any other nertwork of communication that innovated before previously ,like

facebook,tweeter,instagra and skype ,by Andrew. S .Tannebaum (2011) .

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 Also WhatsApp is a social media used as plattform for communication, sharing of idea, study
materials, documents, stories, assignments, course works results, various links, photos, and
videos by University students and lecture ,by Colaleke Iroju, and Olajide (, 2005). Also from
Hasain and Adam (2014), WhatsApp is asocial media network site as a tool to enhance the
educational communication between teacher and students. Also is among of social media
communication which is used as a communication tool to meet the normal face-to-face
communication between persons to another persons or between one group of people to another
group .

What Sapp network was founded since 2009 in the United States of America by American
Brian Acton and his friendly Jan Koum who is a Ukrainian-America soon after they left their
job at Yahoo network company .After they left their job at yahoo in September, Jan Koum
opened new page to find another Job and they decided to apply for job on a facebook network
but unfortunately their application answers were not good for them because they were rejected
the situation led them to be disappointed .

Therefore by missing a job at facebook Mr Jan Koum came with new ideas of creates a
WhatsApp in 2009 which enabled him to build an app industry on the app store that show the
status next to the individual names of the users. A Koum idea supported by his fellow Brian
Acton who agree to working together hand with hand with Jan Koum to develop Whatsapp. But
implementation of their idea for Jan and Acton was very hard work that why they decides to find
a help to Mr Alex Fishman for more insights, but Alex decided to direct them to a Russian
developer, some body Igor Solomennikov whom was blessed skilled on IOS developer and
whom found on Rent A coder.com.

From that Koum succeeded in developing the IOS application and incorporated the “WhatsApp
inc “in California on February 24th 2009 . Mr Koum named it as WhatsApp because it sounded
more like “whatsapp”on February 24,2009. But in June 2009,Apple company launched Push
notifications inorder to allowing users to be pinged when they were not using an app. In October
2009,Acton persuaded the former friends from yahoo to invest dollar about 250,000 in seeding

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funding and Acton became a co-founder and he was given a stake .In November 2009,the
whatsapp application launched on Whatsapp store for the IPHONE in order to cover the primary
cost of sending verifications texts to users by change it from a free services to a paid one..

In December 2009, the ability to sending photos was added to the Iphone version. The
n by 2010 under American Company patent of inventory, the application was taken to market as
free program for internent users . By early 2011,WhatsAPP was one of the top twenty(20) app at
apples US app store and then by February 2013 ,WhatsApp had about 200 million active users
and 50 staffs member who employed due to the investment about dollar 8million from a Seguoi
Capital for more than 15% of the company due to the good negotiation with Sequoia partner Jim
Goetz. Then Seguoi feel good and wants to add again investment another dollar 50million and
WhatsApp valued at dollar 1.5 billion. Through blog post in December 2013 WhatsApp claimed
that 400 million active users used the services each for mouth. Also by Cohavi in( 2013) about
127countries in th world could accessible the programe and in the same year of 2013 by Tzuk
about 31 billion massages were sent every day .

1.2.1 Facebook subsidiary (from 2014 until present)

Up to February ,19, 2014 the program has grew very faster and over took Facebook Inc.The
situation threats the owner of facebook company Mr Mark Zuckerberg, something that makes
him to call a joint venture with cost of about dollar 19 billion inorder to save his company of
facebook from slow down.

FIKILIA
KUONDOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA……...

THE STRENTHS GAINED BY WHATSAPP AFTER INVOLING VARIOUS CHANGES

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Due the much investment from facebook, WhatsApp succeeded to creates a WhatsApp
Messenger or simply Whatsapp which is an American free ware, cross platform massaging and
voice over services owned by facebook Inc. It allow users to sending a text messages and make
voice and video calls and shares images ,documents ,users locations and other media.

WhatsApp clint application runs on mobile devices but is also accessible from desk top
computers as long as the users mobile remains connected to the internet while they use the
desktops app. The services require users to provide a standard cellular mobile number for
registering with the services.

By January 2018,WhatsApp released a standalone business app targeted at small business

owners so called Whatsapp Business to allow companies to communicate with customers who
use the standard WhatsApp client .Later on, according to Chowdhry, Amist ”Whatsapps Group
Audio And Video Calling features Arrive on Iphone and Android on 20, September
2018,WhatsApp introduced group audio and video call features. Then again in( October 3,2018)
according to Singh,Jagmeet(October 3,2018) Whatsapps for Android Gets “Swipe to reply
Gesture support, ability to download external sticker Packs Tipped means that the “SWIPE TO
REPLY” option was added to the Android beta version ,sixteen months after it was introduced
for an” IOS” .Again on October 25,2018 WhatsApp announced support for “STICKERS”

But in May 2019 according to” Map of West San Jose, California retrieved 2008-o2-03”,
WhatsApp was attacked by Hackers whom installed SPYWARE on a number of victims
smartphones. The hack allegedly developed by Israel surveillance technology firm “NSO” group
injected malware onto WhatsApp users phones through a remotes exploit bug in the apps
voiceover calling function.

On November 25th, 2019 announced an investment of USA dollars 25000 into the startup system
through a partnership with startup India where it will provide 500 startups with facebook credits
of dollars 500 for each;

In December 2019, WhatsApp announced that a new update would lock out any apple users who
haven’t up dated to “IOS 9 or higher and sum sung, Huawei ,Sony and Google users who

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haven’t updated to version 4.0 by February 1ST ,2020.The company also reported that windows
Phone operating systems would no longer be supported after December 31 st 2019. What Sapp
was announced to be the thirdly most downloaded mobile app of the decade from 2010 to 2019.

In early 2020 Whatsap launched its “DARK MODE” for an IPhone and Android devices a new
design consisting of a darker palate. In ,2020, whatsapp with their partnered with the World
Health Organization ( WHO) and UNICEF to provide massaging hotlines for people to get
information on the 2019-2020 corona virus pandemic .At the same time month of much, 2020,
WhatsApp began testing a feature to help users find out more information and context about
information they receive.

SMB AND ENTERPRISE PLATEFORMS

According to Chowdhry, Amit, (September 20,2018) until in 2017,WhatsApp was for individual
use between two smartphones. This enabled business to communicate with customer. In
September 2017 Whatsap confirmed rumors they building and testing two new tools for
business namely as,

 A free Whatsapp Business app for small companies.

 An Enterprise solution for bigger companies with global customers services and
conversational commerce via whatsapp chat using live agents or chatoots.

BAKARIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Due to the development of science and technology in communication nertwork,the

application has been improved and starts increasing slowly to massively in some
African countries fore stances countries like South Africa,Nigeria,Angola,and Botswana
although some of African States were very poor and other in middle average economy
but still somehow advanced development. Therefore South Africa by estimation of

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 WhatsApp owner due to the Survey done in April 2013/14 is leading nation in Africa
due to the fact the advanced technology invested achieves to advance cheap accessories
for WhatsApp which can access even to the internet with 2G.

Also on July,2014 ITV under IPP Media house they did analysis through “SWALI LA KIPIMA
JOTO” in Tanzania it shares massives flows of the Smartphones to the students of high learning
level is said to be marketable cite,where by every eighty of ten students owning smartphones
with WhatsApp. Also due to the Survey done out on September 2014 by BBC it show that
WhatsApp in Africa has become great revolution ally people together such as friendly,family
and community members at a wide range.

A part from that,WhatsApp about in Tanzania is the application which being used at moderate
rate compared with South Africa, Nigeria as well as an Egypty from Northern African and main
factors is that the massive citizens are very poor living under one dollar per day and poor
ivestment in technology .The situation make how rate of users of the program on the same trend
such as texting ,sending photos,videos and audios instance massaging.

SHORT SUMMARY ABOUT WHATSAPP CONCERNS THE ORIGIN, DEVELOPER,

FOUNDERS UNTIL NOW.

1. Original Author(s) are Brian Acton,Jan Koum

2. Developer(s) is a Whatsapp inc.(facebook,inc)
3. Initial release January 2009(11 years ago)
4. Operating system is a Android ,ios, KaiOS (there are windows, macos and
Web app clients that work only in presence of a connected mobile app client
5. Size is about 132.4MB(ios),and 28.92MB(Android)
6. License is proprietary softy ware with EULA(European Region)
7. Website is a Whatsapp.com

WHATSAPP INC.
1. Type, subsidiary
2. Founded February 24,2009(11 years ago)
3. Founders Jan Koum and Acton
4. Headguaters Moutain View,california,United States.
5. Key peole, will Cathcart (Head of Whatsapp.)
6. Number of employees, 50 employees.

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 7. Parent facebook,inc.
8. Website Whatsapp.com

1.3 Statement of the Problem

The research is intended to find out the role of Whatsapp network in solving socio-economic
problems facing SAUT University students in Mwanza main campus. In the recants years of
2010 to 2011, the What Sapp network was very difficult to meet communication to the large
number of users especially SAUT students although efforts has been made by development of
science and technology to emphasis the using WhatSapp but still the exercise and transformation
seemed to go slowly copied. The communication between students and teachers or among
students themselves seemed to be difficult to reach because of low technology in communication
which existed in previous ago.

1.4 Objectives of the problem.

1.4.1 Main objective

 To find out the role of Whatsap network in solving socio-economic problems facing
SAUT University Students in Mwanza main campus.

1.4.2 Specific objective

 To find out how WhatSapp network directly involving in solving SAUT University
students problems especially Saut loan beneficiary students to get information from
loan board office through WhatSapp.
 To find out what the challenges facing the students in using Whatsapp network
 How the what Sapp could help teachers in setting up a good friendly environment that
can help students outsides the classroom in solving an assignment and in studying the
course materials.
 How what Sapp could improve the teaching process and students learning skills.
 How the teachers would create a WhatSapp groups for the students and use it to
support the face to face learning environment.

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  To find out how Saut students can interact together through What Sapp network.

1.5 Research Guestion/hypothesis

 How does the whatSapp network directly involing in solving problems facing SAUT
University students as users of What Sapp network?
 Do the students improve on using whatSapp due to the technological advancement?

1.6 The purposes of the Study

The purposes of this studying based on investigate the role of what sap network in solving
the problems facing the university students by establish collective conversations with other
students and teachers in order to solving the problems facing student. The study intended to
achieve the following objectives.

 To examine the role of Whatsap network in solving socio-economic problems facing

SAUT university students in Mwanza main campus.
 To examine what the challenges facing SAUT students when use whatSapp.
 To examine how what Sapp can help SAUT loan beneficiary students to get
information from loan board office.
 To examine how the teachers would create a What Sapp groups for the students and
use it to support the face to face learning environment.
 To examine how the students can interact easily together through whatSapp network.

1.7 Scope of the Study

This study is conducted at Luchelele ward found in Nyamagana-Mwanza rgion ,a ward in which
the students live and settled there as well as Saut University –Mwanza main campus has been
located there.

1.8 The limitation of the Study.

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The limitation expected to occur in this research are time constraint as a researcher conduct the
research at the same time attending the lectures in the classroom and poor cooperation from the
students because some students are not willing to give information for a specific current time,
also others make promises for another days the situation discourage to finishing research for the
correct time arranged by supervisors .Also as well as financial problems for buying researching
instruments and salaries for boda-boda in order to meet respondents easily.

1.9 Definitions of Key terms.

 WhatSapp; refers to forms of social communication media that reach small audiences
through using massages chats including text chats ,voice massages chats, chats groups,
audio and video calling as well as individual status.
 An Iphone, the type of mobile phone devices which help to simplifying conversational
communication.
 Sticker, the modern imoji which used to make caption of status or any kind of massage
wrote on the whatsapp.
 Whatsapp clint ,means the customers or users of Whatsapp.
 Boda boda, a current transport used by publics for small distances.

1.10 Conclusion

Generally this chapter has been ended to deal with the various issues include a background of the
study, Significant of the Study, Statement of the problem as well as Objective of the problem
which cover the main concept of the research writing .Also by the end of this chapter, it provide
room for initiation of the next chapter which is chapter two which goes to deal with the Research
Review, Theoretical arguement