Now there is a home away from home, There is a natural habitat, natural to any average Nigerian, Say me a good morning to the natural atmosphere which is social media. By 6am, we post “Good morning world” to the 400plus WhatsApp status, on Friday -it’s “TGIF”, Thank God it’s Friday on Instagram by 2pm. Then retweeting the hot gist on X by 6pm to the wrap of the day highlights post on LinkedIn by 10pm.
I’ll say everyone has found their niche.
Now this is a bit interesting, if we take a look at the Host and conveyor to this home away from home which we are all attached to -our smart phone. Screen time has matched with eyes time and all the eyes can see is the screen, every minute and every second, 5 Social media app that contends for my attention like a polygamous man married to as many wives as the apps on our phone with WhatsApp as the Favorite bride always receiving attention for some people while others it is TikTok.
Everyone in the media space, Everyone is a stakeholder in a social media platform. I only need to sit with my TikTok app then I’m miles away with every journey movement directed by the swipe of my finger.
While the media is a very good avenue a totality of content items (television shows, films, books, photographs, etc.) which are broadcast or published advertisement of goods, sales, and sometimes circulating important information -it’s values are not underestimated and has greatly promoted life.
It is also very pivotal to admit it is becoming a new home and world to many, to develop another personality for content, to groom a talent, and to build a soft foundation, institution or acquisition policy. Social media takes a big chunk of the cake for these segments.
But the real question to life is, do you fully depend on a social media account with a million likes and views? I’ll leave you to ponder and answer that question. As a house is essential for rest and comfort to every human, is social media now a very essential home that we all must find one for ourselves as long as we stay on the Earth?
Or if I decide to stay in a real hard copy home without a soft social media copy of a home, Can I breathe and stay alive in this world, won’t I be forgotten and be a yesterday case since new things trend everyday?
In Nigeria, social media has become a part of our everyday lives. It’s very hard to see anyone not on any social media platform. I must say, Nigerians are taking the cup when it comes to being on social media. It’s either you are a content creator or a content consumer.
Let’s talk about our meme game, there’s almost no meme that you cannot relate with. This is because, Nigerians creates these memes as an extract of their current life, experience or mood. It could be a meme about family, a new policy, a new law, the price of food, the weather, their job or a movie in Nigeria. The most famous of these memes are from the ‘Aki & Pawpaw’ movies. Somehow, Nigerians can relate anything to a video or picture from these movies and it makes social media nostalgic.
My second favorite thing about Nigeria in media is the comment section! If you want to have a good laugh, just go to a Nigerian comment section. You may not understand the video you just watched yet, just read the comments. The video itself may not be funny, but read the comments. Sometimes the comments of Nigerians are the real content!
One other thing about Nigeria and the media is how things quickly escalates. It could be bad news or good news but you do not officially need to know about it from the newspaper, radio or television -you will definitely find it on social media and not in the way you think. I mean, of course these could officially be posted but that’s probably not how you’ll find out about it. You will see a slang comment about it on X or someone’s WhatsApp status, you will see a doctored clip that explains it all, or a comedy skit and then you would have heard the full gist.
The truth is, Nigerians have owned the media game. Created their own kind of social in a social platform they didn’t actually create themselves. They must have even gone as far as copying from other people’s trend and culture but somehow owned and made it their own. Now, we are being copied. It’s as good as saying, anyone doing great crazy skits, memes and cracking the comment section up is a Nigerian. Check it out and see, every great skit, comment, meme maker in the media is a Nigerian.
Hence! NAIJA GOOD.
Written by: Blessing Adebayo(theblessinggift) & Goodness Felix-Adebayo
Editor: Goodness Felix-Adebayo