Digital Transformation, Social Media Revolution, and E-Society Advances in Africa: Are Indigenous Cultural Identities in Danger of Extinction?

Abstract

Digitization incursions into social life and culture continue to evolve, flooding the world with e-tag paraphernalia and exerting unprecedented influence on cultural landscapes. The scope of digital transformation has also broadened. Households and organizations tend to welcome digitization with both hands. Most current literature considers the ongoing digital drive as a magic wand to transform less-developed societies into advanced communities without considering the negative impacts on cultural identities, particularly in the vast rural spaces. This paper examines e-revolution (e-transition, e-society, and e-communication) trends in African societies. Digital transformation comes with baggage alien to the African culture. The known multi-linguistic identity and cultural heritages are eroding fast. At the same time, the "digital natives" face identity crises and cultural alienation as the dissemination of fake news, misinformation, and conspiracy theories on social media spiral uncontrollably, invoking significant policy issues. We aim to provoke intellectual discourse on digitization consequences for proper rationalization.