Thread by @DrJoeAbah

Good morning. I’ve been away from Twitter for a week. Thanks to everyone who checked up on me. I haven’t really been away though. Just haven’t tweeted for a week. Been reading, scrolling and observing, trying to see myself as others may see me and others on this app. Thread...

When you look at Twitter interactions from the lenses of someone that doesn’t tweet all the time, it is actually quite funny. Someone says makes a wild, foul-mouthed assertion that 80% of Nigerian women are bisexual, or potentially so, and have an entitlementmentality. It trends.

It doesn’t just trend o. It trends for the whole day. Some focus on her language, others argue whether it should be 79.9% or 81.2%. Some men hail her. Some women insult her as a “pick me” wannabe. The author herself goes “Lmao” & expresses satisfaction that her post is trending😂

Some “Influencers” jump in straightaway. They seem to feel they MUST comment on every inanity within 5 minutes of the hashtag trending or risk losing their “Influencer” status. Some are grateful for the “Influencer’s” comments because they can now attack him “with due respect.”😂

I wrote an article last week about Government communication, titled “Mr President, please talk to us.” In it, I said the President’s handlers scripted his public image too heavily, denying people from seeing his human side. As if in response, the toothpick picture was released.

Me and others had engaged in some banter about it initially but some others later reacted quite badly to it. The insults against the President were deep, real, personal and palpable. Then others attacked those people back. The insults were also deep, real personal and palpable.

Those that first insulted the President did their own version of “Lmao” and expressed satisfaction that some people were attacking them. I get the impression that “80%😂” of people on Twitter are angry, and angry at everyone who is not as angry as them. Those ones keep quiet.😂

So, I am there thinking: don’t these people have work? Do they just look for conflict after conflict just to abuse each other? Is this how people that aren’t on Twitter all the time see me? No wonder they always tell me “You are doing a great job on Twitter.” I wonder “What job?”

You look at the bile that political Twitter people spew all the time & wonder: “Do they have any laughter at all in their lives? Do they ever laugh at anyone except their political opponents? Why are they so bitter? The real politicians on the streets are never bitter. Wetin?”

You want to tell them it’s just a game & they should emulate the banter among football supporters. Then Chelsea loses. Someone trolls them. Then the abuse starts. They abuse even the guy’s parents. On top football o. I need to check whether they are the same political Twitterati.

You kind of feel that many people on this Twitter street are jobless and addicted to their phones, without a social life. That’s how people that use Twitter only occasionally must see me too. Just like reading a cheap gossip magazine but with the ability to comment ANGRILY. 😂

Several people you’ve never had an exchange with, many of whom only joined Twitter 2 months ago, will just ask you for money to pay for a Masters degree in foreign country. Or to pay school fees in a posh private university. They’ll even kindly offer to pay half if you pay half.

I should prioritise them over widows who haven’t eaten or orphans who have gained admission into Federal University Ndufu Alike, ba? Ok. Because I am an “Influencer”, I mustn’t been seen as heartless and must respond, abi? Because I owe them for being an “Influencer” shei? Ok.😊

I don’t think anybody still uses this platform to learn or teach anything. Those that used to do so appear to tweet less these days. I think many feel they can do without the insults from free-data-terrorist kids that their own children are older and more accomplished than.

Meanwhile, I’ve been getting more into @burnaboy ‘s music. It has a melodious, soothing, sweet and happy disposition. Ariwo ko ni music. It’s not “You can only run run run, run run run pass Terry G if you run maaad!”😂 Ezemmuo is back! Good morning!✌🏽