Communication means have evolved over the past century. In Africa, town criers were once used to convey messages, which later transitioned to newspapers. Today, newspapers serve as a reliable source of information for people to keep abreast of their society's happenings and for leaders to communicate with their constituents. We know that this has evolved over the years, and social media is now a big thing. The media is full of fake news and real news, and now we can't even distinguish between real and fake news. This is already affecting the generation of children that we are growing and also affecting us.
News circulating on the Internet is often misleading. It is alarming to know that 50% of the news is fake, and it is concerning that these fake news items often trend. Newscasters use sensationalist headlines to get more clicks and generate revenue, even if it means publishing fake news or spreading negativity. Many individuals don't bother to verify the legality of their statements before expressing them, which becomes evident when engaging in arguments. Often, they rely on misinformation from social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. Unfortunately, this fake news can be detrimental, leading to a distorted perception of their nation.
In some countries, coping with misinformation is possible. However, in Nigeria, the constant dispute between the three major tribes has created an atmosphere of uncertainty. There is a feeling that these tribes may eventually separate. This makes it even more important to verify the sources of information. The issue of misinformation not only threatens the unity of our country but also has the potential to create future psychopaths.
The media's impact on Nigeria's future is concerning, as many young people seem to focus on the negative aspects rather than using it to create a better nation. Instead of using media as a tool for building up the country, it's being used to exploit its weaknesses.
A few weeks ago, I had a chat with a corp member from NSYC who is from the North. He mentioned an alarming trend where children are now joining bandits or aspiring to become a bandit. these young kids want to join the bandit not because of any ideological reasons, but purely for financial gain. The amount of ransom demand, fueled by social media, to make money illegally has corrupted most of these children's minds. This trend has resulted in many children dropping out of school to pursue a life of crime.
I had a conversation with high school students about their future goals. During our discussion, he mentioned wanting to become a politician and embezzle millions of dollars. I was curious and asked him where he got that idea. He explained that his father often listens to the news, which is always full of stories about people embezzling money. His father always comments that the government does nothing about it, which inspired him to pursue a career in politics and engage in similar activities.
The media is already grooming future criminals and they must be regulated.
most portion of the information presented may not be accurate. While many of the reported cases of embezzlement are still allegations, the media often sensationalizes the news to increase clicks and generate interest. This can lead to misleading headlines and stories that may be interpreted differently by the audience, including teenagers.
Many young people today are being influenced by fake news and allegations on the internet, leading them to consider embezzlement or other illegal activities. To combat this problem, I believe there should be regulations in place to reduce the plurality of fake news. The spread of false information not only damages our country's unity but also corrupts the minds of our youth, diverting their attention away from constructive efforts to improve the future. To prevent baseless allegations from being broadcast, it is important to keep them from being reported by major media outlets until the facts have been established.
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Thanks for your time.
The most painful part of it is the get rich quick syndrome that we have prevalent in our society. Social media through the aids of the Internet has made it possible for people to get distracted. Many youths nowadays resorts to rituals all in the name of getting rich which I believe is illusion. Social media fuel this through new and deed or the content creators who are only aftering what they want to eat and thereby forgetting the lasting effect of their actions on the youths in the society.
It's surprising that many young people nowadays seem to have lost faith in the value of hard work and instead opt for illegal means to succeed. There may be a need to monitor and regulate the media to ensure that it doesn't promote such negative attitudes that can undermine the hopes and dreams of an entire generation.
I hope that can happen.
This is indeed a wonderful write-up. Coming to the aspect of fake news or information, this is one of the major issues we are facing in our country, The majority of the information or news we see on the Internet these days is fake news, some people just sit down and frame fake news all in the name of that they want to generate funds. That's why it is always good to confirm any news you hear, before saying it out.
This is one of the major things we lack in Africa. We don't always look for the credibility of the news we are consuming, which is crazy, and we go out there spreading fake news and affecting the lives and beliefs of the young generation.
You did justice to this topic, this is one of the topics that no one talks about. Social media is becoming a negative influence in our society because the negative news trend more than anything. Imagine a secondary school girl saying she wants to go through liposuction (bbl) simply because she saw ladies on social media doing it and the trend is trending like mad😅 I don't really know but if there was a way to keep the young ones out of social media then I will rather prefer they should be off social media so they can focus on other positive aspects of life too. If not, social media is becoming something else.
If we all want it, we can do it. There is always a way we can keep the younger generations from this toxicity which is affecting them because, at the end of the day, if all this young generation is not monitored very well, they will later become our problem.
Fake news is real. I have noticed that even the fake news on Twitter is left up for that part of the ad revenue. I have noticed a few people talk about that in regards to Twitter after Elon started sharing ad revenue. I honestly can't believe it when I see so many people committing crimes and posting it up on social media (TikTok) either. It's been a large part of the entire world and I don't think it will end that well for us. So I can definitely see issues there in Nigeria as well as the entire world.