The extent of the disinformation is not to be ignored in Cameroon. However, almost no one seems to do nothing to stop the damage.

Disinformation: a growing threat to Cameroonian youth

For several years now, disinformation continues, without any difficulty, to make victims within Cameroonian youth, massively present in social networks.

“Today in Cameroon, two in three teenagers are either exposed to a smart phone or are simply holders. They thus assault social networks, and have access to dangerous information disseminated online early for their ages, without the control of their parents. The consequences are visible on all levels and in all aspects of daily life. »»

Declares Frank Guissimbi , sociologist in Yaoundé.

The disastrous consequences of social networks on adolescents

Exhibited as they are to the cleansing and hard messages on social networks, focused on community identity, these adolescents come out completely contaminated by the speeches of hatred which proliferate, to the point of observing in them, an increasing trend in violence and aggressions.
According to Vincent Sosthène Fouda, Cameroonian academic, The information published in social networks is largely toxic to adolescent mental health. The latter would have caused an increase in drug use in the country between 2010 and 2020.

An insufficient response to a national crisis

Despite the urgency that gives act, almost Nothing is done on the ground Real, in terms of effective response to this phenomenon that plays youth and pollutes youth. Almost not an official campaign was born, no action of national magnitude has yet been the subject of a public narration, it is total silence.
Some lonely actions are however to be noted, mostly coming from actors of civil society, like the association Eduk-Média whose action started in 2016 With a target composed mainly of high school students is still in progress. The objective being to give them necessary tools, to better navigate the Internet, in order to prevent them from continuing to be passive or active relays of disinformation. Will that be enough to weigh the scale? Not so sure in view of the severity of the damage caused by this disinformation phenomenon, which every day still seems to gain ground. Even evidence of a little -articulated control strategy and therefore, to organize in the short term.

Christian Essimi