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Akuapem South MP warns social media is a ‘time bomb’ for African youth
via GhanaWeb2 min read
Lawrencia Dziwornu, the Member of Parliament for Akuapem South, has expressed concern over the growing influence of social media on African youth, labeling it a “time bomb.” Speaking at the 4th African Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Family, Sovereignty and Values in Accra, Dziwornu highlighted findings that indicate young people spend an average of seven hours daily on digital platforms. She warned that this increasing reliance on social media and digital technologies poses risks to African values, culture, and identity. The MP also noted the impact of artificial intelligence, citing statistics that show approximately 92 percent of online content consumed by African youth is in English, with African languages accounting for only about two percent. Dziwornu argued that Africa, with its population of about 1.5 billion, possesses significant bargaining power to influence global technology companies, similar to the European Union’s success in compelling Apple to adopt a common charging standard. She urged African nations to collaborate on digital challenges and called on African parliaments to lead in shaping policies to protect children and young people. The conference gathered lawmakers and stakeholders from across Africa to discuss family values, cultural identity, digital sovereignty, and the future of the continent’s youth.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by GhanaWeb.
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