Parents, Social Media is Messing Up Your Girls!

In our Saturday PUNCH column, we often address matters close to the heart of Nigerian society, and this week, the issue of social media's impact on our young women demands urgent attention. A heartfelt letter from a reader, who credits our column for helping her remain a virgin at 29, serves as a powerful testament to the values we champion. However, this personal success story is overshadowed by a growing concern that is plaguing our youth: the insidious influence of platforms like TikTok.

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Parents…parents…parents, There is serious fire on the mountain, and I pray that fire doesn’t consume your children and the wonderful future you’re anticipating for them! THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS MATTER!

We are witnessing a disturbing trend where social media is not just a platform for entertainment but a breeding ground for the erosion of decency and morality. The "catching cruise" culture, as it's known, often involves the shameless display of acts that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. What is particularly alarming is the apparent complicity, or at least passive acceptance, of these behaviors by young girls, who seem to bask in the fleeting attention they receive. This is not merely about youthful indiscretion; it's about a generation being shaped by content that prioritizes shock value over substance, potentially jeopardizing their futures and the values we hold dear.

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TikTok, especially, is a place that easily assaults one’s decency, with people “catching cruise,” which means creating an entertaining situation or just goofing around!

This phenomenon is not confined to the youth. Disturbingly, we are seeing some mothers, women who should be exemplars of virtue, normalizing behaviors that contradict our cultural and moral standards. The normalization of infidelity and the public airing of marital disputes, even in support of a music star accused of adultery, is a worrying sign. It suggests a broader societal shift where traditional values are being challenged, and perhaps, in some cases, abandoned. As a publication deeply rooted in Nigerian society, The Punch feels a responsibility to highlight these issues, urging parents to be more vigilant and to guide their children through the complexities of the digital age, ensuring they do not fall prey to the destructive currents of social media.

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Why would any right-thinking lady want to make a show of that to the world? Do these girls even think or have a good sense of reasoning?

From a Nigerian perspective, the speed at which these Westernized, often morally ambiguous, trends are adopted and amplified is concerning. While international media might report on these as general social phenomena, for us, it strikes at the core of family values and the upbringing of our children, which are paramount. We must ask ourselves: what kind of future are we building if our young women are increasingly influenced by content that devalues discretion, modesty, and traditional courtship? This is not just about online behavior; it's about the kind of partners and mothers these young ladies will become, and the impact on the fabric of our society. We urge parents to engage in open conversations with their children, to instill strong moral compasses, and to be aware of the digital spaces their children inhabit.

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Now, I don’t know if they just want to join the bandwagon of the so-called woke people or if they have been badly embittered and frustrated by men. Otherwise, why would they support a music star that was recently called out by a television personality for sleeping with his wife, and also hail the wife for taking that step in retaliation for her husband’s malice towards her and much more!