Despite the fact that Nigerians are one of the most social media savvy people on earth, there is concern that a growing list of activities they engage in on social media platforms can be dubbed ‘packaging.’
Social media packaging is when individuals pretend to be what and who they are not. It can also be when individuals portray themselves as having what they do not really own just to draw attention, gain recognition or even garner people’s admiration.
This description could subtly be the reason why a company uses ‘packaging’ to show or describe its product in a way that makes it seem more attractive.
Thus, no thanks to the country’s economic outlook, many Nigerians now want to appear to look ‘good’ in the eyes of others. They want to give the impression that they have immunity from inflation and high costs of living which many Nigerians are grappling with today.
And so for these Nigerians, what better way to execute their plan than to use photos and videos of themselves, which they uploaded to the internet, to captivate their undiscerning fans, family members and friends.
Unfortunately, packaging only conjures instant gratification. It also precipitates emotional crises that could lead to despair, trust issues as well as depression. This is why some people call it (packaging) a callous desire that promotes ‘fake life’ on social media.
Interestingly, this is where some Nigerian celebrities have been caught in the web of deceit spun by packaging. And it is along these lines that the concept of ‘faking it till you make it’ is tailored.
There are several Nigerian celebrities who have been lampooned for packaging. Okuneye Idris Olanrewaju, also known as Bobrisky, is one of them.
Only last month, the controversial crossdresser was convicted and sentenced to six months imprisonment without the option of fine for abusing and mutilating Nigeria’s currency, the Naira.
Bobrisky is currently serving his prison sentence at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre in Lagos.
Before his incarceration, he once uploaded a picture containing several car key holders on the internet to create the impression that he has several luxurious vehicles.
However, some eagle-eyed Nigerians pointed out that one of the key holders Bobrisky displayed was the sort used for generator keys.
“I used to borrow dresses and other luxury items, like jewelry and iPhones, from my friends and flaunt the same on social media. Almost every week, I would wear something new and my followers continued to compliment me and that brought so much joy to me”
Another celebrity, Oluwatobiloba Daniel Anidugbe, who is better known as Kiss Daniel, once wore a fake Louis Vuitton shirt during a video shoot to impress his fans.
When Kiss Daniel was called out for wearing the highly expensive clothing item, he quickly passed the blame to one of his crew members.
Kiss Daniel, who claims to be against any form of counterfeiting, said that his ‘stylist’ created the look, or in other words, bought the fake Louis Vuitton.
Nigerians who are Nollywood enthusiasts will also remember vividly what screen goddesses, Oge Okoye and Halima Abubakar, did that started tongues wagging.
Okoye uploaded the picture of two cute puppies on her Instagram profile and claimed that the dogs were hers. She also spiced up her lies by saying that the animals just arrived (presumably from overseas).
Abubakar, on her part, posted a picture of the hand of a newborn baby who has just been born holding the finger of his mother’s hand. The actress also gleefully told Nigerians that she just welcomed a son.
Unfortunately, Abubakar’s only drawback was that the baby did not really belong to her and she was eventually exposed by the real mother of the real.
When the Nollywood A-listers were rebuked for their ignoble act, they deleted the photos from their separate Instagram handles.
Nigerians have accused celebrities like Bobrisky, Oge, Abubakar and others like them, who show off on social media, of wanting to trend so as to remain relevant in the entertainment industry.
Bobrisky and co. have also been blasted for using “packaging” to keep their fans engaged on social media without considering the damages that follow afterwards.
This then brings to mind the ordinary Nigerians who have been found wanting, too. One of them, Mercy Udoh, shared her own experience with The Point.
“I used to borrow dresses and other luxury items, like jewelry and iPhones, from my friends and flaunt the same on social media. Almost every week, I would wear something new and my followers continued to compliment me and that brought so much joy to me.
“In fact, some of my followers on social media frequently asked me about the country where I bought some of the items, and I would lie that they were imported.
“But it so happened that my sister in the United States was also viewing and admiring my pictures, although she would not comment on them.
“Did you know that when she came to Nigeria in December last year to visit my parents, she did not purchase anything for me from the US and I was really upset?
“When my mum asked her why she did not, she said she always saw me on social media wearing different lovely dresses, and thought my other sisters needed them more than I did.
“I was packaging myself because I liked the attention I was getting online. But I have stopped now. It blocked my blessings.”
Another young Nigerian, Collins Ejike, said, “It was a car I packaged with. Of course, it was not mine. It belongs to my brother who works with an oil servicing company in Lagos. He lives in Maryland.
“My brother wanted to travel to Abuja and so he decided to bring his new car to our family house in Ikorodu for safekeeping.
“After he left, I began to take pictures with the car and posted them on social media. I included in my caption that it was my new car.
“After only one week, the car was looted. The thieves stole all its tyres, side mirrors as well as head and rear lights.
“Funny enough, after they left, I found a note the thieves left behind.
“They said when I replace the stolen parts; I can once again begin to post pictures of the car on social media so that they can pay me another visit.
“It was then I realised that someone who follows me on social media was responsible for the theft.”
A public affairs analyst, Ifeoma Ogbonna, said several factors were responsible for people packaging themselves on social media.
She said the craze to belong in the society, the quest to outdo rivals and public expectations, are just some of them.
“Many of the people who cannot afford a particular lifestyle want to belong in society. They want to belong because they have seen their colleagues ‘peppering’ people with all these good things of life on social media and so they want to do the same.
“Another thing is that celebrities and ordinary Nigerian citizens want to outdo one another in every way imaginable and social media is the new battleground for everyone.
“That is why I always tell those close to me not to believe everything they see on the internet because 90 percent of those things are just make-believe.
“Last but not least, public expectation is perhaps the biggest factor responsible for the reason why people package themselves on social media.
“Most people want others to perceive them in a certain way and to achieve this; they will not mind painting that picture in people’s minds using social media.
“Sadly, public expectation has thrown many into depression.”
Another analyst, Alex Nwadike while sharing his own opinion, told The Point, “On most occasions, the society we live in encourages packaging. And I am saying this based on experience.
“There was a day when my struggling company went to Alausa to bid for a contract.
“After our presentation, we left the hall feeling excited that we did a good job.
“Would you believe it, the government workers there who hosted us began to look out of the window to catch a glimpse of the kind of car we came with?
“We did not bring any car there and it was for that reason, I believe, we lost the contract. That taught us a lesson.
“Since that day, we don’t fail to take a good car along with us during such engagement and the difference has been clear.”
