Africa Is in Danger of Unregulated Social Media

The COVID-19 pandemic brought about many consequences, but one of the most profound has been the rise in social media usage. Have you opened your Facebook page recently? Sometimes, the content is so overwhelming that you might find yourself wishing for an escape from the chaos. It’s disheartening—especially in Africa—where access to social media platforms is free and constant, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The madness continues unchecked. Some countries, like China, have shut down access to global platforms because they understand the potential harm.

Africa remains the only continent where social media usage appears to be active around the clock. It makes you wonder—do people still go to school or work during the day?

That said, social media isn’t entirely negative. There are benefits. I once heard of a woman who met her husband through social media. You can't always look at lemons with sour eyes—sometimes you need to add sugar or honey and enjoy the sweetness. Positive connections, business opportunities, and awareness campaigns are also part of the digital experience.

Still, the dangers are real. During the pandemic, many young girls in Africa dropped out of school, with social media playing a role in their disengagement and even disappearance from home. When you raise concerns about these consequences, you're often met with excuses that outweigh solutions. Yes, we live in a free world and are encouraged to "fly like eagles," but even eagles have limits—they cannot soar forever.

China, for example, has restricted Western social platforms—not because they reject social media altogether, but because they’ve created their own, under regulation. In contrast, Africa—despite its deep-rooted cultural values—has embraced content that often contradicts its traditions. Why would a grown man post absurd videos just to earn money? Why mimic the West when our lifestyles and values are fundamentally different?

When such issues affecting young people are discussed, the response is often, “This generation is different.” But how different is it? We all have parents, and I’m confident those parents come from somewhere—likely a village. Unless someone was born and raised entirely on the streets, they have roots and a cultural foundation. If you're unsure about your identity or values, ask your parents to take you to visit your grandparents at least twice a year. It might help you understand the bigger picture and where we are going wrong.