By Francis Ewherido
In the 80s, as mass communication students, they drove it into our heads that the “pen (mass media) is mightier than the sword.” Consequently, we were taught and admonished to exercise these enormous powers with great restraint. This was partly what four years of studying mass communication at the university entailed. Then there were basically two types of mass media: print and electronic. The print included newspapers and magazines, while electronics were television and radio.
Only four universities offered mass communication as degree courses. They are my alma mater, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, the University of Lagos, the University of Maiduguri, and Bayero University, Kano. I know Auchi Polytechnic offered OND and HND (I am not too certain about HND) in mass communication. I can’t recall any other higher institution that offered mass communication as a degree or HND course in the 80s. The sanctity of the profession was protected because of its delicate nature and role. Even those who didn’t study mass communication but got employed in media houses underwent rigorous in-house training. There was and still the Nigeria Institute of Journalism that offered diploma in journalism for such people.
But with all the due diligence, bad eggs, blackmailers and quacks still infiltrate the profession. This was before the advent of social media. What we have today is more nightmarish. Many people without formal training now have access to these “weapons of mass destruction” (social media which are also mass media of communication) and they hesitate but little in using them. They exercise their freedom of speech without the concomitant responsibility we were taught in school. The results is the plethora of negative social media posts we see and read today, but I want to concentrate on the family. Some young people are being cyberbullied. Even the protective walls of their parents’ homes can’t protect them anymore. Youngsters have been forced to commit suicide due to cyberbullying. The tragedy is that the bully might not even have met the victim physically. They met online. They might even be in different countries or continents.
False information spreads fast like wild fire during the dry season. But that is what some people routine post in social media. By the time the truth comes out, the damage has been done. To add salt to injury, the truth scarcely goes viral like the falsehood. Also, the level of online blackmail going on is huge. Only those willing to haul defiance at blackmailers are spared after walking through the fire of public shame. Those who want their secrets to remain secret are being heavily extorted. There are two options. One, do not put yourself in a situation where you can be blackmailed. Two, haul defiance at the blackmailer. You will get a bloody nose, but you will be free thereafter.
I told this story before. A prominent man desired a miss (An unmarried female teacher was called miss then) in a town. The miss rejected his advances. Unfortunately, the miss died. In those days when mortuaries were few and far, people were buried not too long after death. The same applied to miss. She was bathed and kept in a secluded place.
The prominent man managed to sneak in. He felt since he couldn’t have sex with miss when she was alive, he would do it with the corpse. Unfortunately, a drunkard and nonentity caught him. Subsequently, he started blackmailing and embarrassing this prominent man by shutting him up in public gatherings. The children of the prominent man got exasperated and insisted that their father must tell them the hold the nonentity had on him. He had no option but to confess. They then came up with an ifuen (antidote). At the next public gathering, the nonentity was at it again. This time around the prominent man to paraphrase bellowed, “who is this drunkard and nonentity? Do you know who you are talking to? I am the man who made love to a corpse.” Others looked in disbelief, but the blackmailer was deflated. That was how the prominent man got his freedom from the blackmailer. Do you have the balls to follow that route? If not, do not make yourself a target for blackmailers.
Some people drag others and institutions on social media forgetting that it can boomerang. Your ward disappears from school for two days without a trace. The first sensible thing to do is to work with the school. If you must go to the social media, start with a missing person post. I know the school owes your ward a duty of care, but dragging them should not be your first option. What kind of child did you send to the university in the first place? Some girls break school rules and leave school to be with their boyfriends or do prostitution. Sneaking from school and going out for parties is common. In public universities, the movement of students is not controlled because some students even stay off campus. In private universities where movement is restricted, some students still sneak out while others bribe those who are in charge to cover their tracks to enable them sneak out.
Now in some homes, children are taught to obtain permission before going out and also let their parents know where they are at every time. Some imbibe it and take it to the university. Though their parents are far away, they inform them when they want to leave campus. My friend’s daughter schooled in Canada. I was with him when the daughter called to intimate him of her movement. She could have done whatever she liked but good home training made her do that. When you drag the school of your ward, you get a temporary victory of proving a case of lapse and negligence. But if your ward resurfaces, attention shifts to the parents. What kind of parents brought up a child who sneaks out of school? You send children to school to acquire knowledge and be mentored. Parenting is not part of their work. Unfortunately, some private universities are now clearing the mess created by bad parenting. They are managing compulsive thieves, gamblers, drug addicts, NFAs (No future ambition) and all kinds of deviant students. Some students are also addicted to social media. They get hooked on it all day, neglecting their studies. The outcome is predictable: failure. JAMB recently released the summary of the last exam. The failure rate is high. Some people blame it on social media. Teenagers are heavy users of Tiktok and X (formerly Twitter).
Some young people also play God on social media. The 2027 elections are still far away and they are telling some people not to waste their time to contest because they will ensure that they lose. How many votes do you have? Okay, you are an influencer. Can you predict other intervening factors between now and the elections? Do you know what your target has in his arsenal? Why don’t you even pray to be alive at the time of the elections, abi your mates nor dey yonder? Go and sit down. Only God is omnipotent.
Before I get carried away with focusing on the negative aspects of social media, let me say that social media are among the most revolutionary phenomena in recent times. The positives are enormous. They have millions of young people very rich and helped millions of others to get jobs. They have helped people to reduce cost of doing business. Social media have helped to reunite long lost friends, family members and old school mates. Some spouses met on social media. Social media remain a potent tool for bonding and keeping families together. The amount of information on social media is staggering. Now you can easily carry out research on any topic with materials sourced on social media. Social media can also keep you up to date in your area of specialization. You can also become a specialist in a field you knew nothing or very little about via social media. Social media have helped to expose ills of the society just as they help law enforcement agents in combating crime. In summary, social media are solution providers. The problem is the wrong usage.
