Trending Empty! How Social Media Reflects A Lost Generation by Hon Abilolo

A long time ago, when I had to choose a topic for my dissertation as part of requirements for my first degree in Integrated Community Development at the University for Development Studies (Wa Campus), I went with something that raised a few eyebrows:

“Assessing the Influence of Social Media on Human Development – A Case of UDS Wa Campus.”

For a programme largely drawn from rural studies, human interactions, etc with little focus on digital mainstreaming, it was not the most popular or straightforward topic at the time. But it was personal and timely. I knew social media was affecting me and my circle and needed to document it in a research work.

You see, around that same period, a viral social media video had triggered a political revolution in Egypt. A young man, Khaled Said, had reportedly been brutalized by police officers. The graphic nature of the content, the speed with which it traveled online, and the sheer emotional weight it carried sparked public outrage that escalated into the now famous “Arab Spring.” And at the heart of that social movement was social media; Facebook, Twitter, YouTube. It became the frontline for activism, a tool for coordination, and that megaphone for resistance.

That moment convinced me social media wasn’t just a “tech thing” for bored youth, it was a cultural, political, and developmental tool. It could build nations or burn them down.

So I studied it. Closely.
My research at UDS focused on why students adopted various platforms at the time; apps like Viber, Skype, and the early days of Facebook and WhatsApp dominated conversations. Some students used them for academic group work, others to keep in touch with family and friends abroad, and many just wanted to be “part of what’s happening.” Even then, we were already being shaped by the spaces we logged onto.

Fast forward to today, and the stakes are even higher.

Now, we live in an age where young girls feel pressured to undress for approval, and young men curate fake lifestyles to appear successful. The platform has changed from Skype and Viber to TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat but the deep craving underneath frankly, has not. Validation is the new currency. And it is not just about what we share; it is also about what we consume.

Here is the thing: people use social media in two major ways:

1. Create content, or
2. Consume it.
Many do both, and their motivations vary by demographics. Some are there for real-time news, others to be entertained, some to learn, and others… well, others just want to be seen. And social media, ever so “smart,” feeds us accordingly.

Now, let’s clear something up: the algorithm is not the enemy. The programming does not necessarily set out to destroy values or corrupt minds. It it simply a reflection of you. If you feed it garbage, it serves you garbage. If you show interest in substance, follow voices of reason, innovation, and growth it rewards you with even more of that. The algorithm is like a loyal waiter; it just keeps bringing whatever you keep ordering.

So when we say “social media is destroying society,” we need to ask: Is it the media or it is us? ENIGMA!

During a TikTok Live session I hosted recently, I posed three simple questions:

Why are you on social media? Which platforms do you find most useful? And do you think people generally are using social media the right way?

The responses were raw and revealing.
Some said they use it for quick access to information, especially those in the diaspora who find traditional media channels limiting. Others said they come to see what’s trending and to “join the fun.” A few admitted they don’t even know why they come online! It clearly is just what everyone’s doing creating a void for them, so they join!

One recurring issue raised was this: “Content that carries value rarely trends.” Why? Because in our very difficult lives we have to deal with daily, most people come online not to grow but to escape. Life is hard. The average Ghanaian is overworked, underpaid, and overwhelmed by the vicissitudes of life. Social media becomes a cheap therapy session with filters, funny videos, and noise to numb the pain.

Unfortunately, this avoidance has consequences. We are raising a generation that is hooked on dopamine hits from likes, yet empty of deeper meaning. Most young people I know do not even realize that the same platforms promoting renegades like Kevin Taylor, Twene Jonas, etc, or some keyboard warrior with no moral shocks, also house voices like Napoleon Hill, Elon Musk, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mensa Otabil, Michael Sarfo-Kantanka (Hon Abilolo Billionaire), Maya Angelou, and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. These platforms are neutral, it is what we tune into, that shapes us.

People feel this void yet do not seem to know where to find the right content to fill it. And this is where the family system has failed us. Quite miserably! Recurrent poverty, absentee parents, divorce over workable situations with humility, tolerance and love and the appreciation of the vanity of our existence here, and a general erosion of values have left many youths uninitiated into meaningful adulthood. Schools, which should act as a second line of intervention, are stuck in rote learning. Our school system tags students who think our of the box as idiots. We award first class to those who can memorize lecture notes and reproduce like some Meta AI tools! Lol! Churches, for the most part, are louder about rituals, loyalty to pastors to the point of creating myrmidons out of rational beings, than a focus on transformation of lives.

No one is sitting with these young people to ask: Who are you becoming online? And so, they wander; following the loudest voice, clicking the trendiest sound, idolizing the most outrageous and undignified characters. We have glorified shallowness and mocked wisdom into silence.

But I refuse to be silent. This is why I have committed to hosting weekly TikTok Live conversations to raise awareness and stir intentionality. These are not lectures. They are honest discussions by the fireside! More like a “Maame Dokono moment” with like-minded young people, for young people. We talk about why we post what we post, and how we can choose better. We talk about influence, identity, and the power of choice in the digital space.

This, I believe, is where real change begins; not from mere policies left on paper, but from conscious people doing what they can, to shift mindsets, one conversation at a time.

And as we reflect on all this, here is what I would leave you with:

We live in the Information Age, yes! But more crucially, we live in a time of Formation! Social media is forming our minds, our self-worth, our beliefs, and our direction. If we don’t guide it, it will define us.

So let’s teach our students to find lectures on YouTube, not just party videos. Let’s continue to encourage our folks to follow channels that sharpen the mind, not just the body. Let’s tell our brothers and sisters, with love, that your worth is not measured in views or retweets! But in values.

Because Yes indeed, this thing called social media? It is not going away. Yet indeed, if we rise to the moment, maybe, just maybe, we can help a generation rise with it.

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