The negative influence of Instagram on youths

Everyone on Instagram is rich, does it ring a bell? Social media use to be a place of friendship, educational forums, and learning but in recent times it has become a place for show off and fake high-class lifestyle. I have been functional on different social platforms, and I have come to understand a lot of things. Media has done so much damage as well as positive outcomes. Everyone on Instagram is rich and doing well, what a big scam. Just maybe the non-Instagram users are the only poor people in the world?

Meaning of SHOW OFF: To boastfully display one's abilities or accomplishments.

According to the Cambridge English dictionary show off means, to behave in a way that is intended to attract attention or admiration, and that other people often find annoying.

Peer pressure is affecting youths and leading many astray. I logged into Instagram and found out that a popular social media personality called Mompha, an Instagram big boy was arrested by the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for an issue related to fraud. He hasn't yet been proven guilty to the public, but here's my thought when I saw the news on a popular page called instablog.

The average youth spends at least 3-16 hours a day on Instagram doing the following:

1. Influencers. Share Religious and Business contents.

2. Cyberbullying. Fight and use abusive words.

3. Pick up bad habits. Learn bad habits and sleep on pages of boys and girls showing off expensive cars and clothes wondering how they made their money.

4. Crushing on a male/female

5. Begging for money.

6. Marketing.

7. Show off and leave a fake lifestyle.

8. Hacking. Fraudulent activities in general.

Well, my focus today is the impact SHOW OFF has on our society, especially youths. Fraud has become a norm and it is increasing on a daily basis. This is a very broad topic and Instagram shows off is one of the major issues the world as a whole is facing pertaining to the growing number of fraudulent activities.

Everyone wants to be popular. Everyone wants to show off money all because the person they follow on Instagram buys two Ferraris in a week and under the picture, he/she inserts a caption which says, "My new babies, please what car should I buy next?" when we all know that the spending habit of that person obviously doesn't add up but youths spend time cheering and hailing this person with all sorts of names. Most youths cheer them in the comment session, wishing that they will one day be like them. Do not get me wrong, it is good to aim high but in the right place.

Most youths get influenced by people who show off expensive items on Instagram and travel around the world inside private jets every week. In as much as we all want the good things of life, I want to agree with you that everyone is responsible for his or her mental health, influence and mindset but you will also agree with me that the media has a stronghold on youths and your content can educate or disorient a person.

Instagram Show Off is a major issue right now and one of the leading causes of the increasing rate in fraudulent activities in our society. Most youths even go as far as doing some said spiritual things which are believed to help them get easy access to the victim's heart but at the end of the day, what is life without integrity?

It always starts with a trend, a particular fraudulent male/female purchases a car and most youths start itching to get the same car by any means. The struggle for many youths to show off on social media is stronger than you can even imagine. They can literally do anything for money just to be recognized on social media.

The world is getting too wicked by the day, and it hurts to see that youths have allowed the influence caused by bad leaders and Instagram SHOW OFF gang influence their decision, integrity and patience in life.

Don't let anyone influence you into doing something wrong. Rule social media let it not rule over you. Don't let greed push you in the wrong direction. Some people say every hustle is a form of work but notwithstanding every society has rules and regulations we all have to follow and any form of fraudulent activity is considered to be impropriate and wrong, and the person involved if caught should be ready to face the law.

One way or the other we all influence the action of someone positively or negatively. We are not totally responsible for grown-ups who let themselves get influenced by greedy people due to the greed they also have in their hearts, but we can not rule out the fact that our content can make or break a person. We can start by helping youths see life from a realistic aspect, It will go a long way if we moderate what we put out there just to help those vulnerable social media users. Let your content be realistic, to push a person in the right direction, and to do the right things. You are responsible for someone, somehow, somewhere. You can still serve as a source of strength from afar.

Read more on Mental health and Nigeria.

Photo by Glodi Messi on Unsplash