Stop destructive criticism for engagement, Kiekie tells social media critics

Popular brand influencer and actress Oluwabukunmi Adeaga-Ilori, known as Kiekie, has cautioned against the proliferation of 'destructive online criticism,' which she argues is harming Nigeria's creative industry. Speaking at the QEDNG Creative Powerhouse Summit in Lagos, Kiekie highlighted how social media has become a significant challenge for creatives, who face constant public scrutiny unlike professionals in other fields.

“

That I end my skit with “problem” means there’s a problem. I have a lot of problems that are relatable to other Nigerians. As a creative, I think there’s a new problem building right now, and that problem is social media itself.

While acknowledging the importance of criticism for improvement, Kiekie expressed concern over content creators who intentionally disparage creative projects solely to generate engagement and earn money from social media platforms. She explained that these creators are often paid to generate reactions, leading to high view counts that translate into monetary rewards. "But what you’re doing is you’re watering down an entire industry," she stated, warning that such negative comments can deter investors and undermine creative projects.

“

The challenge we have nowadays is because we have a few platforms that are paying people just to talk. People now just want to talk, and they are just talking.

Kiekie, who is also a professional fashion designer, urged the public to exercise greater responsibility in their criticism of creative works. "Critique, say what you must, but be mindful of how you say it. Because what we do is to entertain doesn’t mean that it doesn’t take blood, sweat and tears from us," she implored. She stressed that critiques should be genuine and honest, not driven by a pursuit of clout or financial gain, emphasizing the significant effort and dedication involved in creating entertainment.

“

When they come and say, ‘Oh, this particular project is minus 10, minus 100,’ that person has said so just because the person wants some form of reaction from the social space. So that particular video or tweet could get about 10 million views, and maybe those 10 million views could get them like two thousand dollars, so they’re able to pay their rent, change your tyres and so on. But what you’re doing is you’re watering down an entire industry.