The African youth and communicative behaviours in digital spaces

Theodora Dame Adjin-Tettey; Abena A. Yeboah-Banin

Theodora Dame Adjin-Tettey Department of Communication Studies, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3160-9607
Abena A. Yeboah-Banin Department of Communication Studies, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6947-0452

Abstract

The 2023 edition of the Trends in Media and Communication Conference (TiMC) provided a forum for researchers and practitioners in communication to convene and discuss current developments in young Africans’ use of digital spaces, particularly as regards their communicative behaviours. Having positioned itself as a preeminent platform for sharing scholarship on emerging trends in communication and media within the African continent, this edition of the conference discussed the theme, “The African youth and communicative behaviours in digital spaces”. The conference accepted over 50 papers from scholars and practitioners in Ghana, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Iran, Latvia, Turkey, and the United States of America among others. Over 100 conference participants engaged in scholarly reflections on how African youth are using the communicative freedom that digital spaces provide to create economic opportunities to counter their high unemployment. Participants also deliberated on how young people leverage and also navigate challenges confronting their online communication endeavours. As well, they considered trends developing around the production, consumption, and moderation of extremist content in African digital spaces. Specifically, the accepted papers responded to questions including but not limited to: 1) What dynamics play out in constituted online communities and how are the youth taking advantage of digital spaces construct and express their personal and social identities and for their social and economic benefits? 2) How aware are digital users of existing cyber policies, and other regulatory policies and how do they affect user engagement and content creation on social media platforms? and 3) What role do digital platforms play in promoting civic engagement and activism among African youth and how does gender influence participation and representation in digital technology?