[Opinion] The culture of insults and defamation : The new media cancer of the youth in Ghana 

It is rather unfortunate that, in Ghana, this phenomenon is increasingly evident in public discourse, online interactions and even entertainment, where insults are often used to seek attention, express frustration or assert dominance.

So, in this new era, respect for the elderly as a cultural value and custom seems to be gradually fading away as it happens elsewhere in Europe! If not so, who are you as a child or youth to insult an elder, not to talk about the President or a Chief? You dare not think about that!

However, it is sad a good number of our youth seem to have lost trust in political and traditional leadership due to inappropriate management of funds to create jobs for the youth and stabilise the cedi, by way of venting their anger, have turned to social media platforms as a fertile ground to insult, defame leadership, knock heads of tribes and paramount Chiefs of tribes just to get an attention to get media followers and cause tension when election is nigh!.

Some political and traditional leaders are not exempted when, on the grounds of campaigning and becoming most powerful, they have employed insult, defamation and unhealthy accusations of their opponents as the “ideal” tool to reach their goal!

What are we teaching the next generation? Are we only dividing tribes to rule?! What happens when you rule divided people? Where will be the essence of leadership?

For me, leadership devoid of unity and implementation of good and pragmatic policies that do not solve a societal problem and make life better is an outright contradiction and valueless! l

Unfortunately, sometimes leaders fear criticism! One is free to criticize but would be more mature, prudent and Christian when it is done constructively, tactfully and timely, devoid of insult. For there is a saying: “Aserewa su gyankuku su a, ne to pae”(It’s like when a child bites more than he/she can swallow, he/she is likely to be chocked by the food)

The fact that one is abroad doesn’t necessarily set on the pedestal of the lens of unnecessary criticism, insult and imprudence too much talks.

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What is the future of our Ghanaian Youth and the nation as a whole when the training and professionalism of a good number of our young exuberant youth are questionable? Who trains them?; what goes into their training? How are journalists certified and their licenses renewed? And how has journalism become so cheap that anyone with a camera can become one overnight?

I want to think that is not the case because they have been veteran and active journalists in Ghana who have distinguished themselves for the past decade.

So, to curb the unprofessionals and the excesses, it is timely for our Parliamentarians to consider a social media bill to regulate the usage and the conduct of users and be enforced by the Ghana Police Service enforcing it as codified by the law!

The Catholic Church can’t be left out in this fight against media cancer. I think our Catholic Youth need Media Formation and Policies for our media Offices and even a national plea to media programmes that do not respect the privacy and sacredness of marriages in resolving marital conflicts as they turn to add more flame to the already stinking situation and sometimes seem to make media synonymous to nudity and profane discussion and interaction.

We are one people if one traces our history, and it is only one nation, Ghana, that we have! Let’s smoke the peace pipe as the election draws nigh!
Thank you.