Protecting Our Daughters: The Urgent Need to Teach Morals in the Age of Social Media

  Protecting Our Daughters: The Urgent Need to Teach Morals in the Age of Social Media

In today’s digital age, social media has become a powerful force shaping culture, behavior, and perceptions. While it offers opportunities for connection and creativity, it also presents significant challenges, particularly for young girls growing up in a world flooded with questionable content. As a society, we must recognize the dangers posed by the decline in decency and morals on social media platforms and take proactive steps to protect our daughters. If you have a baby girl, start teaching her morals at a tender age and help her understand the risks of social media. The behaviors we’re witnessing online, especially from some grown women, are far from encouraging, and without intervention, they could have a lasting impact on the next generation.

The current state of social media is alarming. Too often, we see content that prioritizes attention over integrity, with individuals many of whom are role models by default engaging in shameless behavior for the sake of likes, views, or viral fame.

 The absence of decency is striking. Grown adults, who should know better, seem to have abandoned shame, disregarding how their actions reflect on themselves, their families, or their communities. One can’t help but wonder, don’t these individuals have village people, family members, business associates, or street friends who hold them to a higher standard? Even when creating content, is it too much to ask for a baseline of respect for oneself, for one’s children, and for the general public?

This erosion of values is not just a personal failing, it’s a societal crisis. Our society is becoming something else a place where shame and decency are increasingly rare. The consequences of this shift are profound, especially for young girls who are impressionable and vulnerable to the influences they encounter online. Social media is a double edged sword, it can inspire and educate, but it can also normalize behaviors that undermine self-respect and moral integrity. If we fail to protect our daughters, they risk internalizing these negative examples, believing that shamelessness is a path to success or acceptance.

Parents have a critical role to play in countering this trend. From a young age, girls must be taught the importance of morals, values like self-respect, dignity, and empathy. These lessons should be coupled with conversations about the dangers of social media, where curated personas often mask reality and promote harmful ideals. Teaching media literacy is equally vital, equipping girls to critically evaluate the content they consume and recognize the difference between authentic self-expression and performative excess. By instilling these principles early, parents can help their daughters navigate the digital world with confidence and integrity.

The responsibility doesn’t end with parents. Society as a whole must reflect on the example we’re setting. It’s disheartening to see some parents themselves contributing to the problem, seemingly unconcerned about the legacy they’re leaving for their children. When adults prioritize fleeting online fame over decency, they not only diminish themselves but also fail their families and communities. We must ask ourselves, what kind of world are we creating for the next generation? If we allow shamelessness to become the norm, we risk raising a generation that values attention over character.

This is not to say that social media is inherently bad. It can be a platform for empowerment, education, and positive change. However, the current trend of prioritizing Immorality and ugly eyesore behavior by supposed mothers over substance demands our attention. We must do everything possible to protect our daughters from the dangers of unchecked social media influence. This means fostering environments, both at home and in our communities where morals are celebrated, and decency is non-negotiable. It means holding ourselves and others accountable for the content we create and consume. And it means modeling the behavior we want our children to emulate.

The stakes are high. The girl child is watching, learning, and forming her sense of self in a world where social media amplifies both the best and worst of human behavior. Let’s commit to guiding her toward a path of integrity, teaching her that true worth lies not in viral moments but in the values she upholds. As parents, as communities, as a society, we must act now to protect our daughters and preserve the moral fabric of our world. The future depends on it.

Emeka Gift 

For Family Writers Press International.