Foreign digital content eroding traditional African values — Sam George

The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, Sam George, has expressed concern over the growing influence of foreign digital content on African children, warning that it is contributing to the erosion of traditional values, including respect for parents and elders.

According to the minister, available data indicate that one in three African parents believes, their children have lost the traditional African value of respecting their parents.

Mr. George made the remarks while addressing the 4th Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Family, Sovereignty and Values, on Thursday, June 4, 2026.

He said the increasing consumption of foreign content by children on digital platforms was exposing them to norms and behaviours that often conflict with African cultural values.

“Seventy-eight per cent of African children’s content comes from foreign platforms. So your kids, your grandkids are spending time and 78 per cent of the content that they listen to is from a foreign platform,” he said.

Mr. George noted that digital platforms have become a dominant force in shaping the attitudes and behaviours of young people, often replacing traditional institutions and community structures that previously played a key role in socialisation.

“One in three African parents are reporting that their children have gone wayward. They’ve lost the African value of respect for parents and that’s coming from online platforms,” he said.

He urged parents and guardians to pay closer attention to the content children consume online, arguing that many digital platforms promote ideas and behaviours that challenge established family structures and cultural norms.

“You just need to take your time and listen to what our kids are watching, your grandchildren are watching online and you’ll be shocked at what they are being told is the new norm for dealing with parents,” he stated.

Mr. George said respect for elders, communal living and family-centred decision-making had long been central to African identity, but warned that these values were increasingly under threat.

“For millennia, the African identity has been a respect for the elderly and our communal living. Today, the new generation of Africans have no respect for the elderly and family councils and elders and community ceremonies are now a thing of folklore and a distant past,” he said.

The minister argued that digital platforms have increasingly become the primary source of socialisation for many young people across the continent.

“Digital platforms have inserted themselves as the primary socialisation background for a whole generation,” he added.

His comments come amid ongoing discussions among policymakers, educators and cultural leaders about the impact of digital technologies and social media on family life, cultural identity and values across Africa.