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Social Media Is “Real” Life

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Quite often, we talk about how different social media is from the real world. We allude to the interactions that happen between strangers in the virtual community as incomparable to what obtains when people can see each other and gauge firsthand emotions. While online mediums represent ivory towers: a cocoon of sorts where realities of physical living take a backseat, it’s imperative to understand that humans exist behind the thoughts, banters, and interactions on social platforms. It is the inability to recognise this that results in uncomfortable or embarrassing situations. 

Dele Momodu and screenshot of comments on his 60th birthday

Why You Should Resist The Urge To Argue Online

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I had made a Facebook post about the former Chelsea player, Diego Costa sharing a striking resemblance in looks and temperament with the fictional comic character, Captain Haddock of the Adventures of TinTin series fame. It was an epiphany I thought to put out just as it hit me. A few minutes later, I got a notification that someone had responded to my post. It was a random Facebook friend. He commented with something along the lines of asking me to leave Chelsea alone since I was a Manchester United fan.

5 Types Of Friends You Should Have On Facebook

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Twitter might be the abode of witty comebacks and humour, and Instagram might have all the puff and fluff, but Facebook rules where the numbers are concerned. The leading social media platform combines an eclectic mix of fun and seriousness that is hard to find in other virtual communities. The proof is in the almost 2 billion active users it boasts of – far higher than the combined number of active users its rivals have. Facebook’s goal of connecting family and friends is the chief reason it remains the preferred platform for the majority. In these times where more people interact online than physically, it’s not unusual to have more virtual friends compared to “real” friends.

5 Subtle Lessons You Can Learn From Social Media

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Since social media became a phenomenon, people have explored it for various uses. In the virtual community, there are really no rules. Yes, even though most platforms provide the option of reporting toxic posts, more often than not, bad conduct goes unpunished. I am active on social media. I hardly have a choice because of the nature of my job which demands the use of the platform. However, even I am tempted to take a break from it sometimes. The reason – social media can be overwhelming. The cacophony of opinions, the controversies, dirty fights and fake life…it can all be a bit too much for a more introverted personality like mine.

Kick These Social Media Habits In 2018

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It’s the virtual space where we all get to express ourselves, air our views, display a little vanity (for those who are so inclined), exciting family life or lack thereof and keep in touch with family and friends. There have been arguments for and against social media and its use, and the general consensus seems to be that while the virtual community has reunited friends and family and built friendships, it has also done as much harm (if not more) to existing relationships. 

The Unwritten Rules

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This article was inspired by a football match I watched last weekend – The Manchester United vs Everton English Premier League game. Belgian and Manchester United striker, Romelu Lakaku scored a goal against his former club, Everton. What had me intrigued was how Lukaku didn’t hold back in celebrating the goal against a side he was still a part of a few months ago.

Beware Of The Acclaim

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“We can all do with some level of praise and criticism. The key is not to get carried away by either” – Ololade Ajekigbe

Before I click the publish button every Wednesday, I experience some trepidation. A range of thoughts run through my mind. What if people don’t like the article? What if a section of my readers find it offensive? What if they don’t get the message or simply find it bland, off-point, uninspiring…? Every single time, I consider these possibilities (it’s a potpourri of emotions every writer deals with, no matter how long they’ve been writing, by the way), but I put out the post anyway.

Before You Ruin Yourself On Social Media

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Don’t sabotage yourself. Don’t be the clog in the wheel of your own progress. In this age of social media, it’s the easiest thing to do. Seeing that the world is now a global village, and it has become increasingly easier to make friends with people many miles away, and stay in touch with loved ones we have not seen in a long time, everyone feels close to everyone. These days, you just might tweet at Donald Trump and get a personal response from him. It’s why it is easy to be deluded into thinking the next person on Twitter or Facebook is family or a pal whom we can throw jibes at without the nursing the fear of consequences.

No, Men Are Not Trash

Opinion Pieces, Stories6 Comments

“Yoruba men are demons”

“Short people have an inferiority complex”

“Feminists don’t make good wives”

“Ijebu people are stingy”

“Northerners are dirty”

“Whites hate Blacks”

…and now “Men are scum/trash”

All of the above statements are only a few of the popular generalizations many of us are familiar with. They probably started as a product of one person’s personal experience(s), but have somehow gained traction and have now sadly become a fundamental part of our thinking. They are stereotypes which like many other fixed notions discourage an independent assessment of a situation.

Over the last couple of months, the #MenAreScum has become a regular hashtag on the streets of Twitter. It started as some sort of curious joke – A typical social media reaction to the endless tales of how men continue to “play” and mistreat women especially in romantic relationships. However, things escalated quickly, and what started as a joke has morphed into a man hating campaign.

Before You Slide Into That DM…

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It’s the “Inbox” on Facebook, and the “Direct Message” on Twitter and Instagram. It simply refers to a person’s private message box, that space away from the public eye where a friend on social media can reach you privately should they have a need to chat for business, pleasure or somewhere in between. Everyone on social media makes use of this service one way or the other. Friendships are forged, business deals are proposed and sealed, and of course romantic relationships are explored and developed. The DM is that place where friendships and relationships are made or marred. There, literally anything can happen.