Recently, a troubling culture has taken root among young people.
From the giving away of lavish gifts for merely completing the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and extravagant senior high school proms featuring luxury cars and designer outfits to student elections where gifts are exchanged for votes, children are increasingly being exposed to the idea that success is measured by wealth, popularity, and public display rather than character, integrity, and service.
Social media has become the engine driving this.
Many parents have become caught up in a culture of “sharenting”—using social media to showcase their children’s lives, achievements and milestones.
Graduation ceremonies, birthdays, and school events are increasingly transformed into opportunities for online content creation.
Expensive gifts, luxury vehicles and elaborate celebrations are recorded and shared widely, often attracting admiration and applause.
Achievements
There is nothing wrong with celebrating a child’s achievements.
Parents should celebrate their children’s achievements.
Yet when the goal becomes creating viral content, and the applause from onlookers (other children) matters more than the values that produced the success, the celebration risks sending the wrong message to both the child and society.
Children learn from what adults celebrate. When completing secondary school is accompanied by extravagant displays designed for social media attention, the lesson can easily become distorted.
Instead of learning that success comes through discipline, perseverance, and responsibility, children may begin to believe that success is only meaningful when it is publicly displayed and admired.
The question we must ask is simple: What are our children learning?
Possessions
When students learn that popularity comes from possessions, they may begin to value appearance over effort.
When votes are won through gifts rather than ideas, they learn that leadership can be bought.
When social media rewards extravagance more than character, they learn that public approval matters more than personal integrity.
These lessons have consequences beyond adolescence.
Corruption does not suddenly emerge when someone enters public office.
It begins with the values absorbed during childhood.
A child who learns that influence can be purchased may later see nothing wrong with vote-buying.
A young person who grows up pursuing status at all costs may eventually justify dishonest means of acquiring wealth.
This is why the issue is not merely about social media or school events.
It is about national development.
Discussion
In an earlier discussion on family values and national development, I argued that Africa’s future depends not only on economic policies but also on the quality of citizens being raised today.
The continent hopes to achieve a demographic dividend by 2050, benefitting from its large and youthful population.
However, a demographic dividend is not guaranteed.
It requires young people who are educated, disciplined, productive, innovative and ethical.
A generation driven by social comparison, materialism, and instant gratification cannot fully deliver the transformation Africa seeks.
Recognising these dangers, countries such as Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates have moved toward stricter controls on children’s access to social media.
Their concern extends beyond online safety.
They recognise that social media is influencing identity formation, values, behaviour, and mental well-being during critical developmental years.
Conversation
Ghana should begin a serious national conversation about adopting similar measures.
Age restrictions, stronger parental controls, digital literacy education, and public awareness campaigns could help protect children from harmful influences while supporting parents in raising responsible citizens.
Ultimately, the solution begins at home.
Parents must teach children that their worth is not determined by luxury cars, expensive gifts, likes, followers, or online attention.
Celebrations should emphasise gratitude, humility, effort, and purpose rather than public display.
If we want less corruption tomorrow, we must teach integrity today.
If we want responsible leaders tomorrow, we must model responsible leadership today.
The Writer is a Child development expert/ Fellow of the Zero-To-Three Academy, USA. E-mail:
