Renowned Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka has raised alarms about the impact of technology on Nigerian society, suggesting that it is fostering a new generation of illiterates.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the CANEX Live Theatre during the 3rd Intra-African Trade Fair, IATF 2023, held in Cairo on Friday, Soyinka expressed his concerns about the evolving Internet culture.
While acknowledging the positive aspects of technology, including its role in movements like the Arab Spring, Soyinka cautioned against the emergence of what he referred to as the “new Internet culture.”
He described this culture as tyrannical, insolent, and abusive, downgrading real creativity in favor of cheap, populist, and subversive tendencies.
Soyinka emphasized that this Internet culture is contributing to the creation of new generations of illiterates who believe it is noble and progressive to disdain meaningful culture.
He highlighted the degradation of genuine cultural values and the prevalence of abuse facilitated by Internet technology, particularly in Nigerian society.
The Nobel laureate urged caution and a nuanced approach to addressing these issues, emphasizing the need to resist the degradation of meaningful culture and not let the “barbarians” succeed in their efforts to undermine the essence of culture in the digital age.