By Enigheni Iwori
Do you remember those days when you and your friends ran around in the neighborhood playing hide and seek or when you could just go to your friend’s house sometimes even without informing them ahead? Here are five norms that are quietly fading – in case you are yet to notice.
• Knowing your neighbors: there was a time when a neighbor’s house was like a second home. You shared stuff, had great conversations and even watched each other’s kids but today, many people barely know the person living next door. People are closed off a lot more thereby making neighborly closeness less common.
• Listening to the Radio: this used to be a thing back in the day. You tuned in to your favorite shows, called in to offer your two cents on any given topic, caught up on the news and even got traffic updates. Now with a plethora of podcasts, playlists and streaming platforms to choose from, listening to the radio is slowly becoming a fading habit.
• Home hangouts: the time when you and your friends could pick one person’s house, make food, have drinks, play games, maybe even sleepover but now everyone is a lowkey content creator, so you want to go somewhere “aesthetically pleasing” and you all promise it’s because of the pictures.
• Sticking to one Career Path: the idea of picking a profession and growing it over the years is fading. It is not uncommon now to see someone who is a tailor, lash tech, digital marketer, data analyst and virtual assistant – all in one. The quest to explore all your passions as you deem fit is now prevalent.
• Formal communication: while the corporate world still encourages formal communication, everyday conversations have evolved. Emojis now replace full sentences and voice notes save you the stress of typing long sentences.
While modern living has made some changes feel exciting, others make us yearn for the simple way of life we once knew.
MOVIES OF THE WEEK
• The Herd (Netflix): a wedding celebration turns into a nightmare when a group of friends are kidnapped by gunmen. This movie depicts one of the issues Nigeria has been dealing with and explores themes of violence, survival, fear and hope.
• Devil is a Liar (Netflix): how do you deal with a love that comes back to sting you? Fight or flight? Starring Nse Ikpe-Etim and James Gardiner, this film focuses on themes of romance scams, emotional abuse, pressures of marriage and the consequences of betrayal.
See you next week.
Enigheni can be reached via email: ienigheni@gmail.com
