Following the announcement of the most popular show, Big Brother Titans, numerous Nigerians have expressed concerns about youth participation in the upcoming democratic exercise as the general election in 2023 draws closer.
There are benefits and drawbacks to binge-watching your favorite show on television.
Real-time entertainment, despite its beauty, has the potential to sap one's enthusiasm for political participation.
While some Nigerians have expressed concern about the show in light of the upcoming election, reality show host and media personality Ebuka Obi-Uchendu stated that "Nigerian youths are very capable of going out to vote and also coming back to watch whatever they want to watch" during the debut of Big Brother Titans in December 2021.
In contrast to previous seasons, the BBTitans, which will run for three months from January 15 to April 2023, will consist of South African and Nigerian housemates. Two hosts will be on the show: Ebuka Uchendu and Lawrence Maleka of South Africa.
Some Nigerians have expressed concerns regarding the participation of youth in the election as a result of the interest that the reality television show frequently generates.
Shina Peller, a federal lawmaker from Oyo State who represents the Iseyin, Itesiwaju, Kajola, and Iwajowa constituency, expressed his concerns and also urged young people to put in time for the 2023 elections, just as they would for the Big Brother Naija show.
However, as a result, the majority of youths took to social media to criticize him.
A. Usman Ariori: Simply put, we place all of the candidates for governorship or the presidency in a single house and vote there. There is no INEC, no godfather, and only big brother is in charge.
Emeka Chukwu: " Avoid mentioning BBnaija. Discuss the EndSars' energy. Give the dog a better name.
Michael Akintewe said: At Big Brother, our votes are counted, but not in the Nigerian election.
Oliver Akujinwa Ekene: The only show that makes young people happy is BBNAIJA. They have been let down by the political class. They are now finding solace in insignificance.
Cephas Emmanuel: Big Brother Naija is known to transmit results online, but the federal government still uses ballot boxes, so you would expect any reasonable youth to go to a polling place and risk their life to vote. Transparent the election. The youth will then be extremely interested in voting. We simply have had enough of voting, and it will not be counted.
Dr. Sam Amadi, a political analyst who spoke with DAILY POST and described the reality show as a major entertainment endeavor, stated that BBTitans will reduce the enthusiasm and passion of youth participation in politics.
The combination of the Nigerian and South African housemates would have some impact on the election. In terms of young people getting involved politically, there would be a kind of dulling once BBNaija gets going, even though many of its activities are interesting and compelling.
We can see a reluctance of people to hang out for too long, especially when there are some editions that will involve a particularly popular person on the show or when there are some expectations and anxiety regarding what is going on in the house. And maybe it is more unlikely if they have yet to collect their PVC by now.
Yes, it will be a distraction, but we are unsure of how much. However, it will only have an effect on the amount of time spent by young people on political issues.
