Impact Of Social Media On Nigerian Youth -By Ogeah Henrietta Ifechukwume

Nigeria is a country located in West Africa, with a population of over 200 million people. It is the most populous country in Africa and the seventh most populous country in the world. Nigeria is known for its diverse culture, rich history, and vast oil reserves.

However,it goes without saying that, a country will always have its flaws and can never be perfect.In all the many endowing features of Nigeria,there is still a plague that is fast diminishing the success rate of this county with her citizens.This is the rate at which social media has eaten deep into the peace of Nigeria. Social media refers to websites and applications that allow users to create and share content or participate in social networking. Social media platforms are designed to facilitate communication, collaboration, and information sharing among users. Examples of popular social media platforms include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat. Social media has become an integral part of modern life,mostly plied by the youth.

It is no news that Nigerian Youth are one of the most gullible people on earth as the evidence lies openly on streets.we hear things and comments,thought processes formed from the desperation to become social media figures,without more knowledge on the genuineness of their social media role models.The over-indulgence of Nigerian Youth in social media has led to diverse effects such as negatively shaping political views and extreme political polarization at the youth level.The rate at which information spreads using social media can be termed “unrealistic” as it is extremely fast,this information may be disseminated without being verified and cases like these has led to violence and poor thinking values in the life of Nigerian Youth as they now look to the social media to decide blindly on where their loyalty lies rather than carefully examining the political state/wellbeing of their country.

However, it is also known that social media in Nigeria has led to cases of Addiction, loneliness, depression,active desperation disorders and anxiety. This usually stirs up especially if young people spend too much time on social media and neglect other important aspects of their lives(which is the lifestyle of Nigerian Youth Nowadays)such as schoolwork, physical activity, and face-to-face social interactions.Social media can expose young people to cyberbullying, harassment, and other forms of online abuse, which can have serious negative effects on their mental health and well-being.

In addition, Social media can have negative effects on culture in several ways. One of the most significant is the way that social media can contribute to the spread of cultural stereotypes and misinformation. For example, social media can amplify negative or inaccurate portrayals of certain cultural groups, which can perpetuate harmful stereotypes and reinforce prejudice and discrimination. The case of Eniola Badmus, a celebrity who was recently defamed- called a pimp, went viral and she was seriously backlashed for it but it was resolved and later found that the information was false and the spokesperson spread a wrong/fake information for money.

This explains how the social media has created issues amongst Nigerian Youth. Social media operates on an “engagement over accuracy” policy, therefore when news is being engaged with, the algorithm automatically propagates it. Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram use algorithms to decide which content to show users. These algorithms are designed to prioritize content that is likely to engage users and keep them on the platform for longer. The problem is that this often means that misinformation is prioritized over accurate information and this may lead to lack of trust in the society and in fellow masses. It brings discord, discrimination, hate speech and disunity as no one knows who to trust and is in constant fear of getting turned on, if ever being in the same situation( a center of a misinformed headline).

Additionally, social media can contribute to the homogenization of culture, as people around the world are exposed to the same cultural products and trends, which can lead to a loss of diversity in local cultures. The unity in diversity which is supposed to stand as a strong hold will now have lost its meaning. The increasing homogenization of cultures on social media is causing a loss of diversity and individuality. Instead of celebrating differences and appreciating other cultures, social media is promoting a monoculture, where everyone is conforming to the same set of norms and values. This is leading to a loss of understanding and empathy for different cultures, and it’s also eradicating the unique identities of people and communities and lifestyles that may should have been  consistent with other cultural traditions. The values of their cultures become increasingly indistinguishable and  peculiarities are lost. This can lead to a sense of cultural disassociation and disconnection, which can be harmful to individuals and communities and the future generations at large.

Also, It has also lead to so many cases of Depression. The social media is a big body containing the lives of many people, the good, bad and ugly. There are many people who want to be famous and influential even if it is detrimental to the general public. Social media has dragged some of the youth to be so engrossed in the lifestyle of so-called famous influencers who make them get the “FOMO Syndrome -Fear of Missing Out Syndrome “ This makes them often feel like they’re missing out on experiences that others are having, and this can lead to feelings of inadequacy and loneliness.

This feeling of inadequacy and loneliness then builds up to full and active depression and suicidal tendencies because the youths may still be addicted to the source of this negative feelings as it is no news that social media is extremely addictive. The issue of depression due to social media has led to a lot of suicide cases, completed and vice Versa. It has contributed to the reduction in the population of the country and this is a significant problem.

Social media is diminishing the values of Nigerians, the youth are the bedrock of Nigeria and as they has began to fall, Nigeria is in danger, social media is in great contribution to the crisis held in Nigeria today. It has created a rift in the political state of the country and is leaving many “Leaders of Tomorrow” in personal strife, low mental capacity and low leadership skills as one who is faced with diverse problems could not definitely move a country forward. Youths are losing their minds, dying of heartache and fear of Inadequacy. Let the Youths wake up! Let us look to the future and find create ways to thrive and improve rather than survive solely on the crude present.

Ogeah Henrietta Ifechukwume.

Ogeah Henrietta is a student of Delta State University, Abraka Oleh Campus