#CommunicationInsight Page 2 (12/9/2019) The new information-crazy generation in Nigeria

By Obinna Chukwuezie

These generation just want to be the first to share, or be the first to read, listen or watch, nothing more! They gulp information, every where they go, even while crossing road, in religious places and at work places. For them, it does not matter the place, or time.

Whatever anyone put out there, has its own audience that consumes it and look for more. Everyone is taking advantage of this quest for information to put out different things out there. Most times, people are a reflection of what they post.

Interestingly, social media has provided an unrestricted access to diverse audience, who put out messages out there and audiences who consume what is put out. Many make a living a living or career from both ends. Now, we have social media personalities (SMP), just as we had On Air Personality (OAP) on radio and TV platforms. The SMP sometimes are referred to as "influencers", whatever they put out there "trends," not just on social media platforms, but also on traditional platforms. They command massive followership on their preferred social media platforms.

All over the places, you hear one million views, one million downloads, one million shares, one million likes, most visited site in Nigeria, most searched word in Nigeria, the information traffic is massive. Traffic is money! Traffic used to be organic, now it's bought!

Some have turned themselves to internet butterfly, fly from one Instagram page of one celebrity to another to get 'information' to share to the information-thirty generation, who download via andriod, windows and iOS devices.

There has never been an information-thirsty generation like the generation we have now. If you observe, their addiction to information sharing platforms, especially social media and mobile phones is irredeemable.

These generation can do without air, but not information. They beg for data and can do practically anything to get smart phone. If some of them are not online for three days, its like they lost substantial part of their life. These days, lots of millennial gets depressed for being offline.

Social media is a new community. It has it's own language. It has it's own icons and emoji. It has it's own lifestyle, which is not always a true reflection of physical realities.

They buy information, pay to get it, subscribe for it, spend much on data to download information. Not only that, they travel to get it, there see seems to be an endless search for information on their part. Their search for new information is on-the-go.

Information is not free! It will never be free. The law of demand and supply applies. There is never going to be one single platform that will satisfy the hunger for information of these generation. When they read a story in one newspapers, they read same story from another newspaper. Some prefer the information in readable form, some in audio visuals.

Sure, there are way too many information out there. Every information is not meant for everyone, so knowing how to filter the information that one needs is desirable. It saves ones data, attention, in the very busy information highway. Importantly, in this age of fake news, it is important to learn how to filter to shield oneself from depression and trauma.

Remember, you don't have to get depressed when your information is not liked, or shared or viewed. Such validation does not define you!

Chukwuezie is a #ComDev practitioner, and writes from Jos, Nigeria. he can be reached via Twitter @obinnachukwuzie or email: obinnachukwuezie@gmail.com.

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