The Goaso District Rector of the New Apostolic Church, Kyei Baffour, has cautioned that while social media remains a powerful tool for innovation and connection, its misuse poses serious risks to morality, culture, and national stability.
Speaking at the 2025 Youth Convention of the Sunyani Apostle Area of the Church, held at Tepa in the Ashanti Region from October 23 to 26, 2025, he urged major stakeholders including government agencies, faith-based organizations, and educational institutions to intensify education on the effective and productive use of social media.
“Social media platforms play crucial roles in the lives of the youth worldwide. I entreat stakeholders to help educate young people on the right ways to harness its full potential,” he said.
Kyei Baffour warned that many young people were abusing social media by engaging in acts such as insulting the elderly, posting nude content, spreading false information, and engaging in unnecessary political arguments.
He emphasized that such negative behaviours erode respect, cultural values, and social harmony.
“The world has to use social media very well to shape society for the better,” the District Rector indicated.
Social Media in Ghana and Beyond
According to DataReportal’s 2025 Digital Report, Ghana has about 7.95 million active social media users, representing 22.9% of the national population. Across Africa, over 300 million people actively use various platforms, with youth forming the majority.
While these numbers reflect progress in connectivity, reports by INTERPOL Africa Cyberthreat Assessment (2024) and We Are Social (2025), show a worrying rise in online scams, sextortion, misinformation, and political manipulation.
Law enforcement agencies across the African continent have recorded thousands of victims and millions of dollars in losses to cybercrime linked to social media activities.
Globally, the World Economic Forum and UNESCO have also identified social media misinformation, hate speech, and exploitation as emerging threats to cultural integrity, democracy, and security.
Cultural and Moral Implications
According to cultural analysts, this “digital lifestyle shift” has created a generation gap – where technology shapes identity faster than family or community values can catch up.
Religious organizations including the New Apostolic Church are therefore emphasizing moral discipline and godly conduct as counter measures.
Security analysts say unregulated content flow could be exploited to undermine public trust in institutions and destabilize communities – a growing concern ahead of elections and major national events.
At the Tepa convention, participants were taken through training on entrepreneurship, discipline, and dressing to please God, among other moral teachings aimed at helping the youth balance technology with character building.
Future of Lifestyle and Youth Development
Studies by the U.S. Surgeon General (2024) and the World Health Organization (WHO) indicate a strong link between uncontrolled social media use and mental health challenges, including anxiety, addiction, and self-esteem issues among young people.
To address this, Apostle Patrick Konadu Yiadom, Sunyani Apostle Area Head of the Church, reiterated the Church’s commitment to nurturing disciplined, responsible, and innovative young people.
“The Church is determined to nip all forms of social vices among the youth in the bud. We believe in building a new generation that can use technology responsibly to glorify God and serve society,” he said.
As part of the convention’s outcomes, a Youth Development Fund was launched to finance training, mentorship, and social impact projects for young members in the area.
As the digital space continues to expand, Ghana’s youth stand at a crossroads – between innovation and destruction, information and misinformation, connection and corruption.
The message from the New Apostolic Church is clear: social media can be a force for good only when guided by values, discipline, and purpose.
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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
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