Adegoke Hussein  (Abu Ja'far)

By our education; our literacy, our age(s), our interest, and at times, our sheer will to be a part of a social evolution, we find ourselves in a different world here where, unlike in "Àjẹsá's" own space, commerce, trade, interaction and a lot of things happen. To be clear, there are obviously those we meet here (in this virtual space; this social networking arena) that we have never met in the real life.

In the form of states under the Cyberspace sovereignty, there is Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, WhatsApp and a host of others. Facebook, for its metaphorical experience, is like the United States: the supposed "giant" of our real world. It has these huge number of "inhabitants" or so, netizens, who stimulate its experience in dynamic ways. You could chat on the Facebook world, post pictures, write lengthily or shortly, to engage your teeming "friends" or audience at the same time. Facebook is all-encompassing and to be relevant in this virtual world — much like how one won't be in the Nigerian polity (as an aspiring President) if you have not visited America — you must have a virtual account with Mark Zuckerberg, its founder!

Twitter is a savage forum. It's better enjoyed by the "bourgeoisies" or to use a virtual term, the "celebrities"! It is like the UAE, in our real world, that makes less noise about its prosperity. Twitter doesn't give you the freewill to type as numerous words as you might possibly love to, and so, the few that you must wield together must be "savagery". Dubai in the UAE gives room to all and sundry who are financially buoyant for visitation, much like how Twitter readily grants you the freedom of expression and awaits your contribution if you are intellectually endowed.

Coming to WhatsApp, it's like Nigeria where there are porous borders and every interested tourist could come visiting at no cost. It's a place you would find intellectuals if you are so lucky, and find dimwits if you are unlucky. You would find "groups" first of all, spearheaded by warlords exercising uncivil rights and autocratic powers. They lord over a space of not their own patent, like the Nigerian godfathers hold citizens in ransom for the country being their own "dividend of democracy". There are wars here, and there are secessionists. At a little discord, participants of a group could go on to create another and there is always the ring leader amongst them who would "Nnamdi-Kanunize" or revolt against the former supreme authorities. On WhatsApp, there appears to be rules but there are none in actuality (and sanctions meted upon a deviant group member can always be reversed by him if he knows "his ways around"). You can always also put your worries across but only a few, by chance, would attend to it. The majority here — much like the majority of the people in Nigeria — is corrupt; Netizens here may promote rumors much like how most Nigerians aid and abet lies, treachery and propaganda.

Instagram is for the sociables, and if you like, you might say Armageddon fits into its worldly description. Instagram is largely unilateral in its orientation in that it is a picture hub. But like its worldly correlation, Armageddon, it might be an end time for several people who abuse it. Any slight success(es) in the life of a participant is posted on, to, in retrospect, disparage cliques, associates and virtual friends. Like the conscious members of the human populace would yet put "Armageddon" — a metaphor for the End Time — into a good use, many Instagram users still make use of this photo-hub platform in selling their intellectual properties. Here is a world — a beautiful one laced with resplendent images — of virtuality and of several more eventualities!

_Adegoke Hussein (Abu Ja'far) is a civil engineer and a veteran writer._