By Ajetunmobi, Umar Olansile
“The average youth that cannot use internet should not be existing”- Lafua Oluwafemi
The reality of internet addiction among people is like a coin with two opposite sides. To some, spending long hours on the internet is like a coffee break they cannot but sip in a day. To others, it flings away their time the same way a curved machete does on hay. The main confluence point between these arguments lies in the purpose for internet addiction.
One, some people get addicted to the internet because it is an effective avenue for their businesses. They build network of friends, customers and clients through the tiny threads of internet. In fact, neither subscription data nor power is their worry. In as much as they have their data banks with them, they are ‘good to go’ with the latter. This is the main reason Lafua Oluwafemi, Asimiyu Ola and Adio Omowonuola are hardly off-the-internet every day the sun shines.
Two, Fajuyi Lawrence, Femi Oluwasheun and Arowolo Yetunde scarcely live their day without spending at least four hours on the internet. They believe using the internet complements whatever their lecturers teach them. To them, spending long hours on net has never been a waste; rather, it has been a creative learning ground. Although, they are always exposed to cyber texts like “k, ur, pls, ait, etc” while surfing the net, their writing skills have never been influenced negatively.
Therefore, the reality now is that almost everybody is busy pressing their ‘Android phone.’ In a day, some visit Zukenberg’s world ten times they open their scriptures; some have turned Whatsapp into ‘Gossip Arena’ while some have turned Instagram to a showroom of beauty pageant. Despite these scenarios, there are still thousands of Oluwafemi et al who get addicted to the internet for business and self-development purposes. Now, is your addiction to the internet a curse or a blessing?
