Ayra Starr's mother urges Gen Z to spend hours off phones and think for themselves
- Nene Aderibigbe said social media has left many young Nigerians borrowing other people's opinions instead of forming their own.
- She advised Gen Z to put their phones down for two to three hours, reflect and meditate.
- Aderibigbe, known online as Gen Z mama, spoke in a video shared online.
Nene Aderibigbe, the mother of singer Ayra Starr, has a message for young Nigerians: put the phone down for a few hours and think for yourself.
In a video shared online, Aderibigbe, who is known to fans as Gen Z mama, said she worries that many young people now take their ideas from social media rather than forming their own. She said the platforms have "turned a lot of things upside down" and that many in Gen Z "don't have their own thinking again."
Her concern is not just about wasted screen time. She argued that young people have real talents but often fail to see them because they are busy measuring themselves against what they see online.
What she wants young people to do
Aderibigbe asked Gen Z to set aside two to three hours away from their phones, sit quietly, take stock of their lives and meditate. She also encouraged them to pray and seek God's guidance, and to trust that they already have the abilities they need to succeed.
She shared a personal example: one of her children once asked whether something she said was "fake life," a moment she used to show how online talk shapes the way young people judge real life.
For many Nigerian families, the advice will land at a familiar point of tension. Parents worry about long hours on TikTok, Instagram and X, while young people say those same platforms connect them to work, news and community. Aderibigbe's suggestion is not to quit the internet but to build in regular breaks from it.
She is not the first public figure to raise the issue, but her voice carries weight because of her daughter's huge following among young Nigerians. Ayra Starr, whose real name is Oyinkansola Aderibigbe, is one of the country's biggest music exports.
There was no indication that Aderibigbe was speaking about any particular online trend or event. Her comments were general advice to the younger generation.
What happens next is up to her listeners. Her challenge is simple and free: a few quiet hours without a screen, and a honest look at what you want to do with your life.
