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Blog, Resources

Overcoming Negative Feedback & Social Media Criticism.

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Worry less & Keep Posting Your Content. The journey to success is long, with lonely roads, epic failures, mad efforts, and experiences that come with joy and pain. The world is growing fast, and we are now in the era of technology & social media. As a result, digital skills are highly in demand. Every day, more people are getting into tech, now that the field is broad and competitive, with experts and newbies all striving for success. The use of social media has increased dramatically in recent years & has become a vital part of our daily lives by allowing us to connect with people by sharing our thoughts and experiences online. Many people get their first gig through social media, and while the story is different for others, social media is like a nightmare to them. The truth is it can’t treat everyone the same. If others make friends, others will make enemies, others will be uninspired and intimidated, and others will see hope and get inspired. Social media is another realm on its own. I recently realized that social media is an open platform, a no man’s land which makes people free to express themselves through their words and deeds. You could be a Content Creator on Tiktok or Instagram, a Writer, a Programmer, or a UX Designer. Social Media will connect you to people with similar skills, they will view your post, comment on it and react to it, and you will do the same. You will be flattered while also terrified by cyberbullies’ unpleasant comments. What you see can either make you or break you. It all depends on how you respond to it. The comment and reactions people get after sharing their content play a huge role in their life and the development of their skills entirely. It also determines how their relationship with people will be online. What you create is yours, but the moment you share, it becomes part of the world, and people will react. We return to the shell whenever we read negative comments about the work we shared online. Those with a fragile mentality stop creating and sharing, while those who are shy keep Creating but don’t share, all because someone said something we didn’t expect to hear or read. People developing a skill feel criticism is a way of telling them they’re not good enough. You accept compliments with flattery but hate negative feedback, criticism is unavoidable unless you aim to be nobody and do nothing. What people say or will say in your comment section could be a point of view you implied as criticism, sometime it could be constructive criticism, but because you are at the receiving end, you resent those feedback and term it as fault finding. Well, maybe the critic sees what you don’t see, not all critics are faultfinders, and some are problem solvers. Accept your imperfections, be more patient with your result, and keep sharing your work with positive energy, love, and enthusiasm. Having negative comments and criticism shows you’re not alone. Courage does not reside in the opinion of others but in your own heart, the courage that has no fear of criticism and cyberbullies. Recalibrate your view, Stop living for other people’s approval, and live for your purpose. It is better to see a comment about my work rather than none at all. Many of us make the mistake of sharing our work to be validated, only to receive criticism that hurts our feelings. Whenever you upload content, is not everyone’s responsibility to adore everything about your content. Someone must drill you by asking strategic questions and judging your skills and the quality of your work. The bitter truth is Internet bullies are here to stay, I got used to them, and I strongly suggest you do the same. Becoming socially awkward will only make you drift away; it should be more about pushing limits and going beyond your emotions and personal ego to achieve your goal. My mentor once said he sometimes shares his work with deliberate mistakes so he can get the attention of someone better than him through criticism. That’s a good strategy that shows desire, humility, and willingness to learn. The starting point of all achievement is desire, keep this constantly in mind. Weak desires bring weak results, just as a small fire makes a small amount of heat- Napoleon Hill. Did the last comment traumatize you? Is your Self-esteem threatened? You think you’re not good enough, don’t you? Whenever you pay unhealthy attention to criticism, your emotions will interpret wrongly, and it begins to plant a seed in your mind. You stop working on yourself, and you stop chasing your dreams by accepting Yes, I’m not good enough, and I can’t be better. That is self-doubt speaking because you’re not ready for the emotional battle that comes with the job. What we create is excellence in our eyes, but it could be average in the eyes of someone. We can’t blame them; they have a better experience, or probably they’re just here to make you learn the hard way. Take corrections, accept you’re not an expert, own your mistakes, embrace your ignorance, learn from it, and improve on it. Keynote Critics have the right to criticize your work whether you deserve it or not. It doesn’t necessarily represent oppression but a right to openness. Some of the negative comments you read about your work are a reaction from someone that wants you to improve and do better. Considering the source (Who’s criticizing you is vital), the scrutiny can be from an expert with more ability and experience than you. They saw the flaws in your work and pointed them out, be wise and pay less attention to their choice of words and be teachable. Criticism leads to interactions between subordinates and provides directions for corrections. It’s more like a paradox. Ask questions after reading comments and feedback, and be curious to hear someone’s suggestions

Opinion Articles, Writers

Illiteracy: A Major Contributor To Many Societal Problems by Opara Udochukwu.

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  Abstract: ‘Akinyele come!’ A trembling voice with fear crocked out from the sitting room. ‘What again this time’, the poor boy Akinyele who was only sixteen muttered silently as he approached the sitting room with all curiousness. ‘Your father is dying!’ Temi screamed out, holding her husband lifeless body on the ground with tears scrolling down her eyes. Go to the room, take some money and rush to Peter’s pharmaceutical store and buy drugs for your father, Temi instructed Akinyele. This time, Akinyele was more swift, running to the pharmaceutical store like one who is about to be slaughtered and is graving for his dear life. Within a couple of minutes, Akinyele quickly got to the pharmaceutical store like one who was being chased by a lion. ‘Sir Peter’, Akinyele shouted, moving his eyes swiftly in search of Peter. Without much hesitation, Akinyele sited Pharm Peter. ‘’How are you my boy?’’ Pharm Peter asked Akinyele as Akinyele began walking towards the direction he was. With no much gesture and response, Akinyele responded with fear and trembling, stammering like a child who just learnt how to talk, ammm….fi…fine Sir. What brings you here my boy? Pharm Peter asked. Ma…….my……my father Sir, Akinyele responded with a cracking and stammering voice. What’s actually wrong with him? Pharm Peter asked. I don’t know, he just suddenly slumped, Akinyele responded. Did you say slump? Yes Sir! Akinyele responded with all boldness. ‘’Come and take this drug.’’ Pharm Peter said as he began writing prescription on a piece of paper. Without wasting much time, Akinyele paid and carried the drug alongside with the prescription for the drug which Pharm Peter wrote for him. On approaching home, Akinyele realized that he won’t be able to read the prescription that Pharm Peter gave him and thought of gazing the quantity of drug to give his father because his mother too couldn’t read. That was how the poor boy killed his father due to overdose. Oxford Advance learner’s Dictionary, defined illiteracy as the inability to read or write. Illiteracy goes beyond not being able to read and write and hence, necessary precautions should be taken to disrupt the growth of illiteracy in a nation.   Introduction   The need to increase the level of educational opportunities and attain a greater number of literate individuals across Nigeria as a whole, has become a topic of controversial over the past years. It is quite astonishing that for over 60 years, the many problems which Nigeria faces have been lingered unresolved. A vast majority of the well-known problems ranges from the prevalence of illiteracy in Nigeria, to the tremendous growth of extreme poverty and high rate of unemployment in Nigeria coupled with other variables such as political instability and rising waves of conflict. However, such problems have made Nigeria like a vehicle struggling to climb a hilly road and has yet to achieve its potential. The high rate of illiteracy in Nigeria is becoming increasingly remarkable and as such, given rise to other social issues such as poverty and unemployment and has even increase the rate of high mortality as in the case of the father of Akinyele in the above story. According to the report given by UNESCO, about 25.6% adult males and 40% adult females are illiterate. Almost two out of every three adults in the Northern region of Nigeria are uneducated. This statistic is quite astonishing and has given rise to the question as to why there is a high rate of illiteracy in Nigeria? However, certain traditions, religion and culture of the people opposes and gives no room for Western education and in some culture is forbidden for a particular sex or gender (usually females) to be educated; for instance, in the muslim religion, it is forbidden for females to be educated, and such increases the predominance of illiteracy in Nigeria. Our present day society has trimmed employment as a big ordeal, then imagine if you couldn’t read or write. While this may seem unimaginable for many of us, illiteracy and low level of education are contributing to the alarming rates of global unemployment and poverty. The linkages among education, poverty, unemployment, income inequality and economic growth in developing economies have been discussed in many studies with empirical controversies. Accordingly, there is however, a need to critically examine the relationship between literacy rate and incidence of poverty in Nigeria, with a view to derive implications for policy direction. In concrete terms, this theoretical complementary seek to examine the significant relationship that exist between illiteracy rate and incidence social problems in Nigeria. Almost 200 million people worldwide are unemployed and about 120 million individuals out of the 200 million individuals are poorly uneducated or are illiterate. In Nigeria, almost four out of every six unemployed youths are poorly uneducated. One of the thorny issues usually discussed by Nigerians is the issue of youth’s unemployment and illiteracy. It has become a burden to Nigeria state because the productive youths of any state are future of that state; denoting that if the productive youths are wasted through any means, the hope of such a state is dashed. Indeed, the youths hold the security network of any state not only being enlisted in the military or any paramilitary force for the defence of state, but in the productive sectors such as food and its security, environmental security among others. One of the determinate of the progress of every nation is the ability of the nation to disrupt insecurity. The national insecurity in Nigeria is on an alarming stage and thus, has become a hydra headed monster which security agents in Nigeria appear incapable of handling. The undisrupted fact is, national insecurity is caused by the failure of the national government to address the special needs of its people. Such needs include hunger, poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, inequality, injustice among others. However, the issues of poverty, hunger, illiteracy, unemployment are interwoven because one aspect may be responsible for the manifestation of another. Conclusion:

Opinion Articles, Writers

The Nexus Between Illiteracy And Social Problems by Sunday Ogbaga.

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 Aristotle’s proclamation that “The educated differ from the uneducated as much as the living differs from the dead“, is evergreen. There is indeed no better place to observe the exuding rage of social problems than a nation that harbors sizeable chunk of illiterates. From time immemorial, the trend has always been: the higher the number of illiterates in a region, the higher the rate of social problems. Alas, social problems are well-known for ruining national development efforts and a major impediment on the pathways to a better life. Thus, any person or society that may, in any way, downplay the need for sufficient education is unavoidably heading to a catastrophic end. According to the United Nations’ Economic, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), illiteracy refers to the “inability of an individual to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate and compute, using printed and written materials associated with varying contexts.” Put differently, it depicts the lack of relevant skills, knowledge, and attitudes required of one to make informed decisions, live a purpose-driven life, and function positively in the community. According to World Literacy Foundation, it is estimated that about 770 million people in the world cannot read or write a single word and that a further 2 billion people struggle to read a sentence. A recent UNESCO report upholds that Sub-Saharan Africa has the lowest literacy rate of any world region, of which 9 out of 10 countries with the highest illiteracy rate are African countries. Furthermore, relying on the data from Education for All Global Monitoring Report (EAGMR) 2019, it is shown that 35 percent of Nigeria’s adult population are illiterates and approximately 10.5 million Nigerian young people are out of school, which accounts for 47 percent of the global out-of-school population. Suffice to say, the menace of illiteracy is intense in Nigeria. By and large, it is factual to say that illiteracy is behind most social problems. When stripped down to the bare bones, illiteracy creates a vicious circle of structural defects in the lives of people, leading to various social quagmires. This is how it happens: One of the immediate effects of illiteracy is poverty. In line with the saying, “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop”; poverty is a major cause of chaos. This arises from the fact that illiterates are usually bereft of skills and ineligible for opportunities that could have fetched them gainful means of livelihood. The general by-product of poverty is hunger and wretchedness. More than anything else, hunger and wretchedness drive people into arm robbery, stealing, kidnapping, fraud among other social ills. This is the reality in Nigeria today. It is on record that over 87 million Nigerians are living in abject poverty. Currently, the country is fast degenerating into an archetypical Hobbesian state of nature where “life is short, nasty and brutish and a survival of the fittest”. Cases of terrorism, kidnapping, robbery, stealing, assassination, murder, communal clashes, and retaliatory attacks, ritual operations, etc are commonplace. Again, illiteracy makes people irrational and pessimistic. Illiterates usually take everything they hear hook-line-and-sinker. They lack the mental and emotional intelligence to question falsehoods and detect lies.  This makes them a readily-available tool for mischief-makers. They are easily hired to commit atrocities such as terrorism, assassination, ballot box snatching, and even suicide bombing. Consider the Boko-Haram terrorist group. There have been lots of reports that the terrorists go into villages in the Northern part of the country to recruit illiterate youths who they brainwash into carrying out their beastly acts. Similarly, illiterates hardly see possibilities. They lack the foresight, motivation, and enthusiasm to drive innovations that solve societal needs.  Furthermore, illiteracy undermines peace. The miseries surrounding illiteracy increases anger and frustration on its victims. Of course, an angry and frustrated person has no peace. When people are frustrated, they easily inflict pains on one another, at any slightest provocation. Nonetheless, another social problem being greatly energized by illiteracy is bad governance. It is a conglomeration of intellectually empowered citizens that can elect responsible leaders, express their concerns, hold their leaders accountable, and act vehemently in defense of democracy and social justice. No doubt, widespread illiteracy has exacerbated the rate of electoral malpractice and bad governance in Nigeria.  Illiteracy makes people take actions that are detrimental to the environment. An illiterate knows nothing about the need for biodiversity conservation. They indulge in indiscriminate cutting down of trees, illegal mining, pipeline vandalization, illegal wildlife trade, inappropriate disposal of waste among others. This is a critical issue, especially now that the problem of climate change is telling on us.   Aside from the aforementioned points, illiteracy also contributes to gender inequality, human right violation, health challenges, religious hostility, and corruption. These are all existential social problems illiteracy orchestrates. At this juncture, it is crystal clear that illiteracy shares an inextricable link with social problems. The only glimmer of hope to the illiteracy saga in Nigeria is sincere, holistic, and conscious promotion of education. This resonates with the view of a Nigerian nationalist, Adekoge Adelabu, who once said, “Education is the foundation of freedom. Illiteracy is the basis of slavery. If you would free a people, first and foremost, educate them”.  Aside from the need to place premium priority on education, the Nigerian government should, with all sense of urgency and seriousness, overhaul our educational system to ensure that skills provided by schools are in tandem with the current labour market demands. Businesses, NGOs, and well-meaning individuals can help in the area of school infrastructural development, especially in the rural areas, provision of scholarship, bursary, and skill acquisition opportunities for young Nigerians. Various Non-Formal Education (NFE) mechanisms should be vigorously promoted. Civil societies should also help campaign for a better education system in Nigeria.  Towing these lines of action will, definitely, help reduce the alarming rate of illiteracy in the country. ­­­­­­Ogbaga Sunday Thomas, a student of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria is interested in Education, Leadership, Social Entrepreneurship, and Peace-building. He can be reached via Ogbagasunday3@gmail.com

Opinion Articles, Writers

Illiteracy, A Huge Problem For Humanity And Development by Favour Posu.

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    ABSTRACT: “Whatsoever therefore is consequent to a time of Warre, where any man is Enemy to every man; the same is consequent to the time, wherein man love without other security, than what their own strength, and their own invention shall furnish them with all. In such condition, there is no place for industry; because the fruit thereof is uncertain; and consequently no culture of the Earth; no Navigation, nor use of the commodities that may be imported by sea, no commodious building, no instruments of moving and removing such things as require much force; no Knowledge of the face of the Earth; no account of Time; no Arts; no Letters; no Society and which is worst of all, continuall feare and danger of violent death, And the life of man, solitary, poore, nasty, brutish and short – Thomas Hobbes poem, Leviathan, 1651.[1] “Solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short” is a phrase capturing the life of human beings when in a state of war. The state of war here can be likened to a state of ignorance, where illiteracy is the supreme lord and ruler of men. It can be palpably seen in the aforementioned quote that the state of war is characterized by wickedness, selfishness, stagnation, backwardness, anarchy, unrest, darkness, lack of innovation, dearth of knowledge, lack of vision, fear, violence, death, loneliness, poverty, and destruction. Human beings constantly strives to overcome this greatest evil through the tools of information, socialization reformation and revolution using the seven pillars of the society namely; Family, Education, Government, Church, Economy, Health and Media. However, more has to be done to mitigate the negative impacts of Illiteracy. It is worthy of note that the battle launched by Illiteracy against humanity is an endless one. There are records of successes and failures in respective countries depending on the functionality of the seven pillars of each nation. Notably among these seven pillars is Education whose indispensable role can be seen in the following quotes: “The one continuing purpose of education, since ancient times, has been to bring people to as full a realization as possible of what it is to be a human being. Other statements of educational purpose have also been widely accepted: to develop the intellect, to serve social needs, to contribute to the economy, to create an effective work force, to prepare students for a job or career, to promote a particular social or political system. These purposes offered are undesirably limited in scope, and in some instances they conflict with the broad purpose I have indicated; they imply a distorted human existence. The broader humanistic purpose includes all of them, and goes beyond them, for it seeks to encompass all the dimensions of human experience.” —Arthur W. Foshay, “The Curriculum Matrix: Transcendence and Mathematics,” Journal of Curriculum and Supervision, 1991   “[The purpose of education] has changed from that of producing a literate society to that of producing a learning society.” —Margaret Ammons, Associate Secretary of ASCD, “Purpose and Program: How Does Commitment Today Differ from That in Other Periods,” Educational Leadership, October 1964[2]   From the foregoing quotes, it can be conspicuously seen that Literacy, a product of Education goes beyond the basic meaning of the ability to read and write but rather the ability needed to function effectively in a society. According to the UNESCO, “Literacy involves a continuum of learning in enabling individuals to achieve their goals to develop their knowledge and potential and to participate fully in their community and wider society”.[3]   Literacy is the foundation on which the super structure of Human Civilisation is built on. Literacy enhances the capabilities, abilities of people by providing them with requisite skills set for them to be better persons and blessings to the nation and the world at large. On the other hand, Illiteracy breeds hundreds of enemies such as epidemics, hunger, disorder, humiliation and many others. Thus, Illiteracy is a curse to humanity and development. The majority of the world’s countries are now democracies, however the world has not fully tackled the greatest villain of the world, Illiteracy which has grown to its full blown capacity most especially in underdeveloped and developing countries. Illiteracy is a contagious disease, disabling individuals, economies and the world at large. Little wonder, one-third population of the world is known as Illiterate. In under developed and developing countries of the world, large section of the child population is denied from the opportunity of basic education and continues to enlarge the rank of illiterates. Hence, the growing increase in the number of illiterates with as resultant effects of Discrimination, Immigration Stresses, Over population, Anti-social behavior, Poverty, Drug abuse, Malnutrition, Prostitution, Racial discrimination, Alcohol abuse, Corruption, Unemployment, Sexual abuse, Rape, Early pregnancy, Violence and High crime rate, among several others.   Recognising the growing influence of Illiteracy as evident in the myriad of social problems bedeviling the country, there is a need to be individually and collectively armed with Literacy characterized with Liberation, Light, Civilisation, Sanity, Love, Patriotism and a sense of responsibility. Considering the ripple and destructive effects of the oldest warlord, Illiteracy, It is high time we keep taking the elixir, Literacy. Until the good news about Literacy is shared abroad and optimally utilized by all, men and the society will perpetually be subjected under the oldest warlord, Illiteracy. Thus, this is a clarion call for all pillars of the society to be alive to their responsibilities of reforming, socializing, teaching, training and building its citizens to function optimally and effectively in the society. It is high time we put an end to this once and for all. To that end, it is recommended that the educational system and other pillars of the society should wake up from their slumbers. Adult and parental literacy programs need to be established. School attendance and retention strategies requires improvement. Resources, training, and technology for literacy efforts needs securing. National governments’ commitment to literacy initiatives demands strengthening, Family and Media has to be

Opinion Articles, Writers

Cut Illiteracy Some Slack by Oluka Emmanuel.

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    Dear Reader, You are about to witness a thought-provoking essay; a discursive analysis as to whether illiteracy has a nexus with most social problems. Simply put; can illiteracy be said to be behind most social problems? Come on now on board this journey with an open mind; be willing to shift some grounds, be willing to learn and unlearn a few things. For when this happens, the writer and the reader can rehearse a confluence and have healthy cross-pollination of ideas. The outcome at the end of the essay promises to be a sweet romance. Regards! **********************************************************************************   “Blame it on illiteracy,” has oftentimes pushed the belief that society is getting worse; that social problems are on the ascendency because many can neither read nor write. Whenever there is significant social distortion – evidenced by a few social problems, – it will be blamed, one way or another on illiteracy. But, is that always the case? How justifiable can it get to draw such a conclusion? Does it mean the literate societies are bereft of any social problems? These and many more, are the burning questions the essay will answer. But what constitutes illiteracy? Illiteracy is the inability to read and write; the inability to understand a subject. Impliedly, when one can garner appreciable skill in reading and writing, a fertile ground for knowledge transfer is guaranteed, and ignorance, no longer a monkey on one’s back. The blame game… The essay takes an unfamiliar position in this analysis. This is because it is not surprising to find illiteracy taking the blame for most social tragedies. Society is no longer in a hurry to hold itself accountable for its infractions. What an individual does, becomes the product of a blame game. Yet, one questions whether shifting responsibility for social problems from a collapse of core societal values to illiteracy is ultimately in the best interest of society. Little wonder, therefore, the writer chose the title, “cut illiteracy some slack.” It is anticipated that by the end of the essay, there would be an understanding of the justification(s) behind such a bold title. Methodology… To do this analysis, the essay would limit its scope to the Nigerian society; going a step further to choose our ivory towers – our citadels of learning – as an ‘experimental’ sample, to represent a group of the larger society. Keep in mind the focal sample so chosen is known for its bastion of literacy and knowledge. Other sampled societies in the essay are the democratic institutions like the Parliament, the Judiciary, and the Press. Can there be any social problems in such highly literate societies? The essay shall tell anyway. By the way, what is a social problem? It is an issue within the society inhibiting people from achieving their full potentials. In our highly literate societies under focus, many social problems abound; from corruption to bribery, from human rights abuses to ethnic discriminations; from cultism to substance abuse; from rape to sex for grades, the list is endless. And all these end up inhibiting any society from rising to the various zeniths of their potentials. Talking about corruption, The Federal Government in one of the recent industrial disputes, accused the universities’ hierarchies of paying ghost lecturers and also, indicted them for the shortfall in tax deductions by dubious vice-chancellors who connive with their bursars during salary payments. How about vice-chancellors that bribe their way through accreditation panels from the National Universities Commission in other to influence the accreditation of courses, even when it’s clear material and human resources for such courses are in shortfall. In most varsities, for an alumnus or alumna to process his or her transcript of academic records for admission into further studies, money often has to surreptitiously exchange hands before one is being listened to. This is not even part of the money needed to fast-track the whole process. On the part of lecturers, it is no longer news that some of them demand sexual gratification in exchange for grades. They have also formed the habit of ‘sorting’ – a nomenclature describing a situation where students are made to offer money in exchange for good grades after semester exams. These lecturers have also gone ahead to lure unsuspecting students into one or two social vices. Students on their part, indulge in other social problems like cultism and substance abuse even when it’s clear they know its consequences. They play truancy in school and engage in examination malpractice. The question is, are these lecturers and students illiterates? A quick U-turn from our ivory towers to another case study, which is the highly literate journalism and press society. They are also not shielded from some of the social problems raving present-day society. Some mainstream media for obvious reasons have inadvertently abandoned their watchdog duties to pursue ‘brown envelopes’ – a subtle name for bribe – before events are covered; before ‘unbiased’ reporting is done. The story is not also different for our ‘literate’ parliamentarians. Many of them have left their oversight functions of bringing the dividends of democracy closer to the people, to rather embezzle funds earmarked for constituency projects. Needless to also mention the judiciary, where you find some judges who are keen to subvert justice for material gains. Our post-primary school system is also not left out. Dubious principals and proprietors of schools connive with examiners from the ministry of Education to aid and abet examination malpractice during senior secondary school examinations. Are these principals illiterate? Truly, there is no gainsaying that illiteracy affects virtually all facets of life and not just social life. It is, in itself, a social problem. Those with low literacy skills are much more likely to live in other social problems like unemployment and poverty. They are unlikely to participate in social and community involvements because they do not understand the need to do so. Illiterates struggle to know their rights simply because they can’t read the constitution. They are naïve, impressionable, and

Essays, Writers

Campaign For The Promotion Of Social Media Etiquette by Victor Okonjo.

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  The inception of social media and its wide spread popularity has caused a digital revolution with great impact on social communication and life style globally. The intensity of social media influence gives rise to a clear comprehension of the world as a global village. An important unique feature of social media is its nature of universality. The social media has been observed to be useful across different field of endeavors such as health, entertainment, business and finance, science and technology, social interaction and current affairs. However, despite the positive contributions of the social media, many concerned public enthusiasts have questioned the true extent of social media positivity in our society. With the common understanding that whatever has an advantage also has a disadvantage, some persons have developed the notion that the negativity of the social media out weights its positivity. Others would say, the disadvantage and advantage of social media is dependent on its application. Whatever may be the case, a close scrutiny on the usage of social media today present a fact that there is indeed the proliferation of corruptible and negative contents on the social media. It is even more appalling to know that parts of those who promote such decadence are those who ought to be more enlightened on good value system. One major vice that has become the flash point of attraction is the advent of nudity and promiscuity on social media. On this background, we see how indecency is highly celebrated rather than sanity. A case study is the recent trend on social media code named Silhouette challenge. It is an avenue that let people display all forms of nude expressions in dark shadow. Such act is unhealthy and harmful for public consumption especially for children. In the state of bewilderment, I imagined how someone could sit down majestically and come up with such agenda. It is an agenda that promotes moral insanity but good influence. A disturbing factor about social media is its lack of censorship on contents. Unlike the regular electronic media that gives room for check and balance on viewing contents. The social media is so popular that it is even within the reach of under aged children and immature minds that can get easily corrupted and badly influenced by negative trends such as the Silhouette challenge. Furthermore, the increased number of social media enthusiast that such trend commands shows the level of poor orientation on moral and decent values in our society. On daily basis, the social media has become a platform that some persons use to exploit their moral weaknesses. And when one courageously speaks up against such irregularities, that person becomes a subject of ridicule. We live in a world where people do whatever they like without thoughtful regard for the mental and psychological wellness of their neighbor. The normalization of nudity and other related tendencies on social media is been encouraged by a segment of the society and that is why it is gaining ground. All in the name of entertainment we drag our moral sanity and dignity to the mud without remorse. Now, the society is bedeviled with so much atrocities and one of the contributors is the bad influence of social media. Ordinarily, the social media is a viable tool for connecting the world as a whole; all thanks to technology. The true worth of social media can only be felt when it is properly used and channeled to enhance social and common good. Therefore, there is need for a rapid advocacy campaign on the promotion of social media etiquette. We should not allow the value system of the society undermined because of pleasurable excitement that has weak gains. The youths should be more enlightened against the idea that one can become popular or famous through nudity and sexual antics on social media. Instead, let our popularity on social media be based on constructive and creative contents, which can bring about social and mental development of the human mind. The only way to do so is by allowing the standard of etiquette to guide your usage of social media. This will allow for productive use of the platform. Without social media etiquette, the reign of immoral and indecent trends such as nudity will continue to thrive as a normal occurrence. The common saying “Where there is no law, there is no sin or offence” gives us a good understanding of this discuss. Dear readers, let us make common sense from this discuss by discouraging the embrace of nudity and indecent trends on social media personally and collectively to promote an ecosystem of good values.   Victor Okonjo is a student of Computer Engineering, Federal University of Technology Akure. He has a keen drive in the creative expression of thought and ideas through the Pen. He can be reached at okonjovico@gmail.com

Essays, Writers

Thumb Crowning by Mbam Chukwuemeka.

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  The annoying clicks from Titi’s iPhone keyboard infuriated me. She brushed her fingers over her phone swiftly, a cocky smile danced upon her lips and occasionally she burst into a slight giggle.   “will you quit doing that!”, I lashed out at her, rolling my eyes over furiously to indicate my impotent displeasure.  “I’m sorry Fred but I am getting so much engagements from my fans on Twitter, the comments are enormous and I am trying to reply some of them. I want to make my fans feel loved so that they can engage more frequently on my posts and retweet my tweets. You know…”  I trailed off. Titi could go on and on for days.  “… being a social media influencer is not an easy task, I have devoted months to ensure that my visibility grows. Soon big brands would start reaching out to me. It has begun sef, did I tell you that Tunde Ednut is now following me and Adekunle Gold recently retweeted my post? The money will start rolling in soon and…”   I knew I had sparked her stalwart interest. My mind slipped out of its cave and wandered about the fascinating plains of my imagination.  The unanswered question persistently clung to the clanking train of my disturbing thoughts.  “Who is a social media influencer?”  The answer that satisfies this question is not far-fetched. The new and innovative era of efficient communication has expanded so vastly as new media are accrued consistently to make the world a global community. It has been the dream of man to be closer to his kind and to avail himself to information even about events that are not within his scene and scope.  The advent of social media platforms, of which most popular amongst is Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, WeChat, WhatsApp and most recently Tik-Tok has triggered a steadfast modification in the life routines of the average person. This shift has caused humans to adjust to several technological advancements, which of course at this very moment they have discovered the inevitable reasons for usage. Several processes have changed greatly, from virtual communications to banking needs, advertising and marketability have all been altered by this wind sweeping change.   This is where a social media influencer steps boldly into the game. As marketing and sales patterns are changing, people would only love to use a product or service that somewhat has been endorsed by a known profile.   These influencers have become some sort of demigods occupying the virtual space. Many of them concentrate on a particular platform where they strive to grow their followership and develop their niche.   Hitherto, I at this moment understood why my dear Titi, drapes a traditional wrapper and makes funny faces at her iPhone camera. Shen also had a special way she said the word “crazy” that she pronounced in an amusing manner that sounded much like “guweyzzzy”.  Upon this rather modest premise did she grow followership of almost ten thousand on Twitter and still counting.   So you might ask… what does one stand to gain or earn as a social media influencer?   Well, I have painstakingly decided to understand and research about this intense topic so I could make up my mind whether to help Titi out or not.    Amazingly there are alarmingly evident reasons of taking the giant strides of social media influencing. One of the most glaring grounds is the great expansion of your brand name, face and awareness. As more people get to engage with you frequently on social media. It is certain that they would begin to note the difference and similarities of your brand as in relation with others. And if they find it worth its salt and their attention, they would follow your wall on social media and you would directly gain brand trust and popular awareness.  One other reason social media influencers record exponential growth is that they have been able to build a niche that already attracts an audience that has interest in the content that they put out. If a person likes fashion and discovers a social media influencer that creates content on that niche, it is certain that they would follow that person immediately. This is when the gains begin dropping in for the innovative social media influencer who is expected to use the favourable opportunity of influence to boost sale and incur endorsements – this is a proven method social media influencers hinge on.  Another glaring advantage is the establishments of salutary partnerships that results from the consistency of developing a profitable niche that is capable of inducing wide followings. These partnerships might be in form of brand ambassadorships with relatable brands, joint ventures, live events and an alarming host of other opportunities.   However, it is required of an intending social media influencer to ensure that before they jump into this wide pool that they can swim.   Social media influencing in the full and glorious glare of tech advancement is a potential market that boosts of millions of dollars in revenue monthly and is set to hit much more. Therefore, it is safe to say that social media influencers can choose to make a career out of it if they so desire.   Notwithstanding, social media influencing does have a lot of misadventure if not properly handled.   One of these is keeping your neck from getting entangled in scandals that are capable of ruining the reputation that you have created so far. A good number of influencers fall into this ditch although unknowingly at most times. They might end up getting involved in a virtual fracas with other influencers, make a hate statement or a racist comment or relate wrongly with followers. These points might be picked against you and might as well ruin your social media empire.  In the same vein, it might also prove hard to scale or rate your success in the social media influencing system. Most influencers end up entangled with the wrong audience that might at the end not support their niche. They eventually become frustrated and decide to follow another niche that doesn’t appeal to them or halt the whole process entirely.  It is also worthy of note that influencers get a lot- I mean a whole lot of backlash and criticisms from followers and rivals alike. This of course explains why my Titi sometimes

Essays, Writers

Poverty Antagonizes Social Life by Michael Omirin.

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    Poverty which has become man’s longest problem since ages had dealt with the human race so badly that it is consider  as the number one menace affecting the whole world today: as there is no part of the world where poverty is not felt or experienced. It has become  world Ultimate problem which had deprived majority of humans on Earth their livelihoods and make them  become the second version of who they supposed to be. And this deprivation of  life can be seen in our society as  people are suffering from all kind  of trauma be it psychological, medical, emotional, physical trauma which is affecting their productivity and relevance in the society. Poverty is said to be the state of having little or no money and few or no material possessions; that is it is the state in which a person lack financial resources to satisfy his/her everyday needs, enjoying the minimum standards of living that is acceptable in a society. Its effects on our social life can not be quantify, as it has affected people’s social lives beyond remedy as it had become a yardstick in identifying one’s social status. The effects of poverty on education is so pathetic that it has been an antagonist to many children educational careers, it has caused many brilliant and aspiring students to drop out of school, it has been the number one problem that is forcing many children out of schools yearly since they cannot cope with study due to their malnourishment, lack of good clothes, inability to pay school fees, lack of writing and studying materials and most don’t even have the opportunity to glance the four walls of a school. A child whose parents can’t afford a balanced diet meal will find it difficult to perform excellently unlike his counterparts from rich homes. There are schools in the poverty-stricken area most especially the rural areas that their environments aren’t suitable for learning, some had become dilapidated, some lack standard teaching’s materials and  qualified educators who will help in grooming the children to become successful in their study. Poverty has also denied many students of useful and wonderful opportunities like grants, scholarships and standard competitions as majority of these opportunities do not reach the poor students who attend such schools. Another major problem poverty had cause to students is the attack on their self esteem as most poor students see themselves as  inferior to the rich students especially those who attends schools in the urban areas, they feel ashamed when they saw the parents of the rich students dropping them with cars, wearing good uniform, well fed and having extra money with them and this has led many young children to be begging their counterparts for money and food in schools. The effects of poverty can be seen in our social segregation, it has become a normal occurrence to find some group of people forming groups and union separating themselves from others due to their social status. As the saying goes “birds of same feathers flocks together” that is to say the “rich befriend the rich and the poor befriend the poor”, there is no status equality in our social stratosphere anymore as the rich had decided to ostracized the poor as nonentities in the society and the worst part of it is that the society has accepted it as norms. Poverty has returned our society back to the days of colonialism when the colonial Masters segregated themselves from the masses and also incurred restrictions on them on places they are allowed to visit, same scenario is happening today among the rich and the poor in the society, we have reserved the best places and locations for the rich and ostracized the poor to the worst and inhumane areas. The restaurants/eateries are for the rich while the poor are for Mama puts or bukas, the Government schools are for the poor while the best private schools are for the rich, GRAs and developed Estates are for the rich while the slums and ghettos are for the poor even the religious centres of the poor are no way in comparison to those of the rich. Supermarkets and Malls are for the Rich while the local markets are for the poor, the best public transport are reserved for the rich, and it is not that all these things are not entitlements of the poor man but the question is can he afford them?, which is no and the worst part of it is that the government policies are favouring the rich than the poor e.g removal of fuel subsidy, increase in electricity tarrifs and so on, which should not be so. Another effects of poverty on our social lives is that it kills dreams, hopes and aspirations of people. Gone are those days when you asked a child what do you want to become in the future and he/she will tell you I want to become a doctor, nurse, pilot and so on but nowadays with increase in poverty-stricken individuals and their exposure to the pathetic situations of people around them their thoughts and hopes of the future has been dashed as the only answer they will give in response to that question is that “I WANT TO BE RICH or I WANT TO MAKE MONEY”, so it is not a gainsaying that Poverty kills dreams and It murders hope. It squashes every last kobo of ambitions in a child, Poverty impacts the old, but targets the young. It steals more than full bellies and healthy bodies; it suffocates the future and squanders potential. As for children who are able to go to school, many fail to see how hard work can improve their lives as they see their parents struggle at every day tasks. Many brilliant minds of the society are not given chances to express their talents, ideas and individual abilities which are bedrocks in restructuring their society, many intelligent students and individuals end up with jobs that

Essays, Writers

The gods Of Social Media by Osanyinro Oluwaseun.

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  In a digital age where everyone has a form of social medium, the influence of some public figures on brands and organisations cannot be overemphasized. The surge in the influence of social media on even the littlest business could be traced to the beginning of the millennium (2000) where brands like Indomie noodles, Coca cola and even telecommunication organisations began to see the need to influence the public to patronize them by putting the face of a public figure in their adverts.  A stroke of inspiration, one could say. To the advantage of these organizations, it worked well in increasing their customers and clients. People simply patronized a business because their favorite actor, artist or footballer also purchased that brand. The social media influencers were within the circle of these top three till other individuals picked up social media influencing as a full time job.  With the varieties of social media applications increasing yearly from Facebook to WhatsApp to Twitter, Instagram, SnapChat and its likes, individuals began to focus on growing a community or a group of followers within a particular application. A community that has over the time learned to trust their words and actions, learned to just like them for who they are and learned to- in social media term– follow them. It is almost as if when a social media influencer says “jump”, followers simply ask “how high?”. This is because influencers spend a lot of time with their audience building trust and followership. The social media applications themselves have also helped to promote the social media influencers by verifying them (giving them a tick) once they meet certain criteria. One would agree that such verification has earned the trust of the public. With such great influence on a large number of people, we can rightly conclude that social media influencers are a great advantage to businesses, organizations e.t.c. However, with everything that has an advantage, there is also a disadvantage as how the social media influencers use their power is important.  ADVANTAGES OF SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS  Trust and credibility is built quickly.  With a social media community that already trusts an influencer, using such individual quickly transfers such trust to a brand or organization. Followers believe in the taste and stand of their social media icon on a situation or brand. This really helps to boosts a brand’s target audience and increase number of clients.  Unpopular issues are brought to light.  An example could be seen in the increase of the #ENDSARS protests online and offline. Many youths came out or began speaking strongly in support when their social media influencer spoke on it or came out to protest. This issue was unpopular some weeks back. Opinions or stand on various issues that seem unpopular can become popular in less than a minute the right social media influencer speaks on it.  Target audiences are effectively reached.  Brands and organizations carefully select social media influencers to boost them. An energy drink company knows that the followers of a football star would probably play football and visit the gym regularly and so would need an energy drink. A football star would be selected for such company than an actress and so without much stress of searching for target audience, they leverage on the social media influencer. Same goes for legal matters, food companies, telecommunication companies e.t.c.  Great creative content.  Social media influencers are creative. Every day, they invent new ways to keep their followers glued to their social media space which includes dropping quality contents. Such creative mind is usually transferred to boost a brand which of course keeps customers glued to the brand by patronizing.  DISADVANTAGES OF SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS.  Success cannot be accurately measured.  The influence of these icons on social media affects the accurate measure of a brand’s or organization’s success. With their help, an unknown brand can become popular in the blink of an eye even though the brand is not reliable or just kick started. Such brand cannot accurately say that their improvement overtime, hard work or consistency brought them into the limelight.  A wrong influencer can harm.  With the same wave an influencer can boost a business is the same wave another can pull down the same. All it takes is for a wrong influencer to be used or such to say a wrong statement. This creates a 50-50% chance when using a social media influencer. Sometimes, it might even be the conduct of such influencer outside the social media world.  Exorbitant fees.  Social media influencers at first influenced for free or cheap price but with the growing competition between brands, organisations and the social media influencers themselves, fees to employ a social media influencer has increased at an alarming rate. One can say there is little or no hope for start-ups to employ them.  With such benefits and yet drawbacks, brands and organizations should first research if a particular social media influencer shares the same vision and target audience before engaging, social media influencers should understand that they hold power over the brands and organizations they represent and should use such wisely and followers should trust their influencer (icon) with wisdom because some brands are not reliable.       Osanyinro Oluwaseun, a graduate of Microbiology and currently a master student of Public Health at the University of Ibadan runs a blog on WordPress deejemima.wordpress.com

Blog, Essays, Monishots

Our Social Media Space And The Need For Reorientation.

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“If you are on social media, and you are not learning, not laughing, not being inspired or not networking, then you are using it wrong.”~Germany Kent Funke Akindele’s recent experience is not one of a kind. World over the bar of moral conduct is often set higher for public figures and celebrities who are perceived as role models. And when they fall short the public queue up to give them a brain resetting smackdown. I did not make them role models. Neither did you. But by cheering almost all their actions we collectively and perhaps even unconsciously goad the big corporations and public institutions to make them brand ambassadors. Some, like Funke and Ali Baba are very well deserved while some, not so much. Of course, Madam Jenifa will be alright, I mean she isn’t the controversial type as much as I know and what’s more, her adroitness should surmount this smudge on a hard-earned career. However, her story brings me to the impact of social media on our societal values as a nation, an issue that I have been mulling over for some time and which we shall explore. The euphoria that embraced the emergence of new media and technologies as an information superhighway that will bring new hope and dignity has all but vanished. And the potential of shaping the political agenda via social media as elicited by the Arab spring only a decade ago now appears to a mirage in the distant past. All have been replaced by incomprehensible elisions, mob mentality and offensive comments. Take for instance the vile wishes that have been directed at our leaders since some tested positive to COVID 19. Somebody tweeted that Nigerian politicians deserve to be infected with the coronavirus. When I asked why, he narrated how he lost his best friend to bad governance, poor hospitals and bad roads. I empathised with him but quickly reminded him that our politicians didn’t drop from Mars. They emerged from and were voted in by the Nigerian masses. Many of us are connected to politicians either as relatives or friends, so if they are infected we could eventually be infected. Moreover, Americans are also dying because of poor healthcare. Should their politicians — whom we often eulogise — be infected too? Another eyesore is the way our youths have bolstered their confidence in cyberbegging. On Facebook, Twitter and Instagram we have real and spoof accounts littering every celebrity comment with account details. Some have even devised the emotional blackmail of adding suicide notes. It is incredible how low some will go for a pittance from strangers. We can agree on hard times but a look at the Ghanaian social media space with whom we share similar unemployment and poverty indices tells a different story. Furthermore, there is an unhealthy mob mentality which I harped on in a previous essay. Some of those who led the persecution of Adedayo and Onigbinde when they were appointed into government positions have been exposed as praise-singing hypocrites who criticised previous administrations. One begins to wonder if these appointments are meant to serve the people or the ruling party? After all, Dr Chikwe who is doing a fantastic job at the NCDC was reportedly appointed by the president after he criticised the health sector. The Nigerian social media space can be toxic and it would seem that we possess a precocious fervour to spontaneously spit venom more than to applaud or commend. Whatsmore these sudden paroxysms extend beyond public figures to each other for holding divergent opinions. Notice that by “we” I have not exempted myself. Indeed I was one of the many Twitter users on Funke’s TL demanding an apology. And even though I didn’t disparage her, I still managed to sprinkle those who attempted to defend her action with invectives. Yet these predilections are not peculiar to us, for even in our often adored ‘saner climes’ like the US and UK, while ubiquitous in their use, online platforms are nevertheless populated by similar narratives with public personalities and ordinary citizens alike savaged on a daily basis. My days are incomplete without rummaging through Trump’s Twitter timeline for the funny but sometimes noxious vitriols between his supporters and critics. However, I discovered a stark difference. For instance, some Americans who oppose Trump claim that he is destroying the country’s values by encouraging racial discrimination while his fans say that he is restoring the Christian values that made America great. The common denominator here is “values”. As Nigerians what can we rightly term as our values, one is often forced to ponder? I mean it may just be a good place to start. Unlike our ‘saner clime’ contemporaries, there is rarely a consensus on what Nigerians consider worthy national/societal values. Of course, some argue that being an amalgamation of different tribes our values will differ. But having co-existed for over a century surely there has to be one common value we cherish. Ok, we have an anthem. It is a song but how many of our celebrities and public officials can sing the national anthem? I will leave that to your imagination. Many of us cannot sing the national anthem but we are ever ready to trash our nation. And often because a so-called ‘influencer’ or someone we admire did. I have repeatedly said that the most poignant emblem of the social media era is the paucity of critical thinking. A lot of half-truths fly across our screens. Mostly conjectures and innuendos of paid rookie spin doctors, yet many willingly broadcast the same by adding the silly tag ‘forwarded as received’ without a care in the world to do a basic google fact check. Frankly, I get worried when respected individuals applaud the Chadian military over a 2015 story in a bid to mock our troops who risk their lives to keep us safe. It is appalling to see supposedly educated people commend a fugitive Imam for insulting Nigeria as a nation of terrorists. And it

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