Social media has increased the scope of our conversations by mere exposure to the things that are of concern to people in other parts of the world. One of those topics that is gaining popularity is the issue of mental health.
Personally, as a kid, up to my early teens, my definition and understanding of mental was very elementary. Having a mental health problem meant you roamed the streets picking trash or lived an isolated life talking to yourself. Now I definitely know mental health issues are not always that obvious and they manifest in different ways with signs that range from mild to severe.
I have read quite enough material from psychologists, psychoanalysts and philosophers to have a decent understanding of human psychology. Enough to know that the wave of self proclaimed psychologist and mental health experts out here playing psychiatrist without the proper training or understanding of mental health issues is something we should be wary of.
Some mental health issues have a lot to do with the environments in which we grow up in, more precisely, how they shape our understanding of the workings of the world and our place in it which in turn affects how we think, feel and act. What we have is a reinforcement cycle that makes the way we think, feel and act today influence the way we will think, feel and act tomorrow.
Social media has become the only source of firsthand information for many Cameroonians especially the younger generations. It is either that or I hear say. Many do not have the curiosity for second and third sources for confirmation, partly because the average Cameroonian interacts in circles and communities where conversation is the end; in contrast to milieus and communities where conversation and discourse on social affairs are intended for the formation of pathways to advance society.
Simply put, most Cameroonians discuss social affairs in the context of mere commentary and not in the process of decision making as would be the case in countries where such conversations lead to social and political reform. Which means most conversations on social issues happening on social media are rife with misinformation and uninformed opinions that out of mere virility and outrageousness are being passed for facts. What we are seeing is a false sense of the true state of our society.
We must at this point pay attention to the fact that social media and marketing cannot be separated these days. Social media is also about storytelling and when you think of social media related words like the most sought after ’ENGAGEMENT’ you can begin to see how viral (shock factor) stories tend to dominate the space. What we end up with, is not the average temperature of our society but rather the average temperature of the the shock value stories. Our thinking and feelings towards our society are thus informed by half truths or outright false information which leads to action that is also misinformed.
Enter Facebook marketing and the concepts of leading and joining conversations. I have given some digital marketing courses and one of the things I teach the students is when and how to lead or join conversations. Even traditional marketing uses this concept. We see companies biting trends all the time. We saw it with Orange and “Et Puis qoui?, MTN and “ça “sort comme ça sort,” Source Du Pays with “Tu Va Lire L’heure.” Every one of us has tried to say something and close with “…mais le diable ne fait que….” I just realized I don’t know many English phrases top...
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