Today, a growing number of young people are very active on social media, readily commenting on issues (both real and fake) and in many cases throwing insults and jabs as they deem fit. We are happy that social media have given the younger generation a voice but at the end of the day the digital world is not exactly the real world.
The real world is governed by a set of rules and regulations. So if, for example, you do not like elected officials of your locality or country; you have little or no choice but to endure until their tenure expires.
Even at that, if you really want a person voted out of office, you have to join a political party and then contest or campaign against them. This is simply just the way it is irrespective of our personal feelings or preferences.
My point really is that we cannot afford to continue to be a highly passive younger generation and yet be zealous to see the nation move forward. Using social media platforms to convey our messages, either, negative or positive, to policy makers is not enough. We must start making the necessary moves to become relevant stakeholders in a number of nation building institutions.
I assume someone might probably be asking, has the ICT Clinic column suddenly turned into a political column? The answer is a huge no, but you see, what I just described above relates to what is happening in the ICT industry as well.
Take a look at the executives of professional bodies or associations operating within the science and technology industry such as the Nigeria Computer Society, you will notice that the younger generation is clearly missing.
In some cases, the younger ones are not interested but in other cases they are simply blocked by folks who have entrenched themselves in the system using legal means referred to as the constitution or a special resolution.
Interacting frequently with a lot of young people has shown me that a number of them are simply not interested in bodies they consider as docile and retrogressive. Notwithstanding their views, my position has always been that at the end of the day, every industry is governed by a set of policies and when new policies are about to be put in place, these bodies you have no regards for are the ones invited to make inputs.
In my own case, the need to support the growth of .NG and the desire to positively influence policy led me to becoming a member of — Finish Reading on the Punch
