Foreign Digital Content Eroding African Values — Sam George Warns Parents
The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, Sam George, has raised alarm over the growing influence of foreign digital content on African children, warning that it is contributing to a decline in traditional values—especially respect for parents and elders.
Speaking at the 4th Inter‑Parliamentary Conference on Family, Sovereignty and Values on Thursday, June 4, 2026, the minister cited data showing that one in three African parents believes their children have lost the traditional African value of respecting their parents.
He attributed this trend to the overwhelming consumption of foreign content by children on digital platforms.
“Seventy‑eight per cent of African children’s content comes from foreign platforms. So your kids, your grandkids are spending time and 78 per cent of the content that they listen to is from a foreign platform,” he said.
Mr. George argued that digital platforms have become the dominant force shaping the attitudes and behaviour of young people, replacing traditional family and community structures that once anchored socialisation.
“One in three African parents are reporting that their children have gone wayward. They’ve lost the African value of respect for parents and that’s coming from online platforms,” he noted.
He urged parents and guardians to pay closer attention to what children consume online, stressing that many digital platforms promote ideas that challenge established family norms.
“You just need to take your time and listen to what our kids are watching, your grandchildren are watching online and you’ll be shocked at what they are being told is the new norm for dealing with parents,” he said.
Mr. George warned that long‑held African values—respect for elders, communal living and family‑centred decision‑making—are increasingly under threat.
“For millennia, the African identity has been a respect for the elderly and our communal living. Today, the new generation of Africans have no respect for the elderly and family councils and elders and community ceremonies are now a thing of folklore and a distant past,” he lamented.
He added that digital platforms have now “inserted themselves as the primary socialisation background for a whole generation.”
His remarks come amid broader discussions among policymakers, educators and cultural leaders on the impact of digital technologies and social media on family life, cultural identity and values across Africa.