Social media is conceived as a tool for interaction within the information society. it offers unique opportunities that are advantageous to socio-economic development, but it also presents real dangers. Nevertheless, social media is growing explosively, many developing countries are now embracing Web 2.0 tools, among them social media for the provision of information services (Geoffrey and Joseph 2014). This has been considered a strategy for developing countries for critical highly improved network communications, leading to better, more efficient, and effective socio-economic development. Therefore, Social refers to people interacting with each other by sharing information. Media refers to channels of communication, including TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, billboards, and the Internet. So, if you put the meaning of these two together, we get social media, which are web-based communication tools that enable people to interact with each other by both sharing and consuming information. (Source: MBN-2021). Social media depends on web-based and mobile technology to create highly interactive platforms through which individuals and other entities can share, discuss, create, co-create, and modify user-generated content. In other words, social media is Internet-based and gives users quick electronic communication of content such as personal information, documents, videos, and photos. Users engage with social media via a computer, tablet, or smartphone via web-based software or applications (Investopedia). Relatedly, social media has been used by the Kenyan youth to promote their businesses, crafts, side hustles to boost their cost of living as well as to partner and contribute to the development of the GDP of the country and support their government in terms of tax collection. The following are some of the economic benefits of social media to the Kenyan youth.
Social networking sites in Kenya such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and WhatsApp among others, have allowed organization customers to have a louder voice as and when they carry out their business transactions. It has allowed customers to inquire, give feedback, buy products and get services, and even poke companies they buy from. Indeed, this has been fundamental in the easing of communication among the youth in Kenya, no one needs to go to the office to get the services he or she wants, they can simply just log onto social media and search for the specific item needed and make communication. However, there are some loopholes in this in that some companies haven’t embraced it however it is still moving ahead to change the communication systems, especially in the business world. In Kenya, bank customers for instance prefer using social media platforms rather than emails or phone calls. Due to this, banks in Kenya use such platforms to convey products and services, market information as well as respond to customer needs. customers can quickly raise their Page 4 issues through social media, and these websites have become important in building relationships with their customers.
Secondly, advertisers have alternatives for promoting and marketing their products and services. social media and the internet, have become the standard for advertising, marketing, and selling products and services in most parts of the country. Adverts through TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube have been able to reach a couple of people to boost sales among the businesses of the youth in the country, not only this information has reached the nationals but also the outside countries hence participation in international business and advertising. This in turn brings about taxation which contributes to the well-being of the country`s citizens as well as enhancing youth's way of living. For instance, nowadays youths in Kenya have embraced TikTok as a mode of advertisement where they record their product, put on their business phone numbers, addresses, and posts of the products dealt in and this has led to the development of the business in terms of knowledge hence the development of Kenyans economically.[1]
Social media has brought a new life of liberation to how businesses do marketing across the country. It is perceived to be a better option as compared to mainstream media which has always been very expensive to the extent that advertising on Television, Radio, or the local dailies is costly, especially for business start-ups. To this end, social media is tailored to improve information and promote products and services online without paying a lot of money. Some of these social media platforms are free and equally most of them are zero cost. One just opens up an account and starts uploading their products on the platform and this has boosted the occurrence of business in Kenya, especially among the youth in and outside Nairobi.
More training has been conducted on social media to equip Kenyan youths with different skills for survival in the business world to keep on trying to develop businesses in Kenya and other part parts of the world. For instance, renowned businessmen and women have come up with different topics to teach about social media marketing and innovation, advertising and these all intend to bring development in the economic perspective of youth in Kenya by acquiring different basic information on how to go about business and these are mostly carried out online via Facebook, zoom, Twitter space, YouTube, TikTok where small videos are recorded to give insights on how business can run and this gives knowledge to the Kenyan youth to start up different ventures hence improving on their standards of living amongst themselves. Due to this knowledge, Kenyans have brought such developments on the ground as a form of application to taste their applicability and viability which develop into formal retail businesses.
Indeed, social media has been so much instrumental in the development of youth especially from the business perspective, it has come up with different challenges that can be handled differently at a later stage i.e., it has enhanced theft, cyberbullying, data fraud, character assassination through deformation and derogatory speeches towards one`s personality and character but on the other side of the coin social media has fundamentally improved the standards of living among the youth of Kenyan. In the educational context, social media like YouTube and TikTok have enhanced learning in terms of skills gained among youth in Nairobi and outside, through these, someone can learn how to bake, make Mandazi, sales promote, learn how to sew clothes, learning to play instruments like the guitar, car washing, installation of car tires, wash the car and this has led into the establishment of business ventures like washing bars, cake shops, eatery on the streets of Nairobi, studios for recording, etc and this has enhanced the standards of living among the youths in Kenya. TikTok has promoted the same through benching and learning skills like playing instruments, people this platform to get customers hence earning a fee for the service which in turn improves the status of living of youths in Nairobi.
Also, Kenyan youths are being paid to be brand ambassadors online on Instagram which in turn brings an income to the ambassador for instance, Unilever is instrumental in this where they go to different universities to market their products, choose a brand ambassador to represent them and in turn, it earns an income to the ambassador as well as the company itself, through this different business have come up in Nairobi from students dealing in Unilever products. Brand concepts have also come up am youth where they have come up with slogans for different businesses as a way of making money which has brought a commission to the youths in Kenya. through these slogans, different businesses have been noticed existing hence sales promoting as well as development of the business. Social media has acted as a support group for youths in Kenya and this is where they contribute little money from well-wishers and interested businessmen and women hence the development of businesses.
Youth have come up with initiatives as a way of conversing for support and this is through creativity by making a product however much it is substandard and then request for support. Those who like the product go ahead to support you hence development of the business from well-wishers and donors. There is also direct access and contact with the customers, through different social media like YouTube, the seller has a direct connection and relationship with the buyer and vice-versa because of this, there is direct negotiation on the product without a broker or a middle person in the negotiation. Not only social media is instrumental in conversing of support, it is also important in building relationships with people of like mind. For instance, those in the field of clothes and design can be able to connect and learn from each in that field of design and art, and those in and bakery cake business can be able to learn, connect, and interact with each other in that field which leads to sharing of knowledge and wisdom accordingly. Through this, different ideas are learned which lead to the development of different businesses among youths in Kenya. There are so many benefits but the above are some of the economic benefits of social media among the youths in Kenya.[2]
Comments