The emergence and use of social media have become a
great challenge to cultures both in the west and in Africa.
Age old customs, traditions and social institutions which
were once deeply revered seem to be disappearing in
today’s age of the new media. Social media do not recognize
traditional set ups of age, gender or religion. Anyone
who can use the internet has the freedom to access any
kind of information. Tradition in most African cultures
provided for social set- ups as a way of checking the
excesses of the people. Children were taught to love and
appreciate one another; fighting and acts of bullying were
greatly prohibited and in many cases severely punished.
Children were also warned to be careful of strangers
especially adults. There also existed set limits in the relationships
between boys and girls. Adults especially village
elders, concealed information they considered inappropriate
for youngsters in proverbs, metaphors and sign language.
While some may regard the aforementioned as old
fashioned and infringement on the rights of the child, these
traditional values helped to keep youngsters in Africa in
check. The current misuse of social media amongst African
youth calls for the need to emphasize the appropriate use of
social networks—a method proposed by this research
called a ‘Cultural- centered approach to using social
networks’.