By Faith Sudi,
For some time now, I have been observing the trends in advertising and content creation.
With every scroll and every algorithm-driven suggestion on my newsfeed, I find myself asking: what responsibility do profit-driven organisations have in safeguarding the moral and digital rights of the people they use to promote their brands?
Let’s take a brief look back. Before social media, advertisements appeared through traditional channels of TV, newspapers, printed or handwritten posters, and public address systems.
Back then, there were guardrails in place, some set by advertisers, but many enforced by the media platforms themselves.
Then came social media. At first, advertisements continued on traditional channels, but everything changed once content creation took off.
Companies realized they could work with content creators for a fraction of the cost, receiving continuous advertising as long as the money kept coming in.
Then algorithms took over, spawning even more complex problems; A monster with its grandchildren.
Simply mentioning a brand in a post was no longer enough to capture attention. The audience was there, but never in sufficient numbers.
Filters had lost their magic. So, how do you get more views? Dig the hell’s pit!
Cameras must be rolling when the baby is sick, not because it’s an emergency, but because every crisis is content… record!
Being thin or thick isn’t beautiful enough; Ozempic and BBLs are the new standard, and numbers are all that matter. Going to the toilet?
That’s content too; surely my followers want to see me crouched on the toilet.
Why stop there? Let’s turn people into dragons. Papa dragon, mama dragon, and baby dragon. Have you filmed your wife in the labor ward yet?
People should see how you are the first to hold your baby when it comes out. Tried creating fake couples just for the views?
Maybe flash ten million in cash while wearing a “Kil mi kwik” t-shirt. If the last controversy didn’t get enough attention, easy… Have “mtoto wa mama” wear a thong before a national holiday performance.
Oooh! Our in-laws, don’t forget to be seen with your baby mamas, and if one or two nude photos leak, who cares, as long as your wallet is fat. Also, the Naija dad died, at his funeral, make sure you are on your best makeup, wear designer clothes, and a new wig each day for the cameras.
Even mourning has to be on trend, ready to go viral.
And viral, by its very nature, consumes, destroys, and disintegrates. On the other side, a marketing manager or business owner smiles; they’ve made a killing in sales.
They say controversy sells. But it comes at the cost of dignity, privacy, and morality.
It destroys lives, leaving hundreds digging themselves deeper into despair, consumed by the fire and ultimately buried by it.
Amidst all the madness and those digging ever deeper, a few creators stand out with a clear conscience.
They understand that while controversy sells, moral content has lasting value. Very few have mastered this art.
Jacky Vike, also known as Awinja, is one such example. I doubt this is dictated by brands; it’s a personal choice.
This brings us to an important question: what responsibility do these companies and brands have in all this?
Dozens have fallen into depression, some have died, and many more continue to dig themselves into the pit. And let’s not even mention the number of children exploited in the name of content.
In a country where even the president is a content creator, what we deserve is not laws that merely restrict speech and expression, like the Computer Misuse and Cybercrime Act.
We deserve real accountability from companies and organisations that profit from exploitation.
It’s time to demand transparency, ethical standards, and protection for the most vulnerable among us, especially children.
Let’s hold these institutions to a higher standard for the good of our society and our future.
The author, Faith Sudi, is a Strategic Communications Specialist and Multimedia Journalist.
