Kenyan comedian andcontent creator YY has spoken candidly about the challenges of raising his daughter, admitting that the influence of social media is one of his greatest concerns as a parent.
Speaking during an interview on Tony Mwirigi’s Over 1 Million Podcast, YY said he worries about the kind of content young people consume online and how it shapes their thinking long before they are old enough to form independent opinions.
‘I’m so scared of social media’
When asked what he finds most challenging about raising a daughter in today’s world, YY did not hesitate.
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“I’m so scared of social media in terms of the things people post because we’ve reached a place where we are guided by the things we watch,” he said.
He explained that many online platforms have become spaces where extreme opinions are shared, with some creators building audiences by constantly criticising either women or men.
“You open one podcast, and the host is insulting women. You open another podcast, and the host is insulting men. There are people who believe those things and hold onto them so dearly.”
“We become a part of the information that we interact with every day – the things we read, the books we read, the songs we listen to and the people we spend time with.”
Teaching values from an early age
Although he says his daughter is still too young for certain conversations, YY revealed that he has already started teaching her basic values that he hopes will guide her as she grows.
He said lessons such as showing compassion, expressing gratitude and treating others with kindness are among the principles he encourages.
“Even though she hasn’t reached the stage where we can discuss everything, there are a few things we can talk about. If someone is hurt, you should say sorry. You should be grateful. You should do this and that.”
Rather than telling his daughter what to think, YY hopes she will eventually develop the ability to make her own informed decisions.
“I’m hoping that one day my daughter will understand life and have her own judgement of what life is, not a judgement that has been transferred from somebody else.”
