We remember these friendship (or affinity) clubs between young girls and boys which, until the 90s, maintained a special atmosphere in the neighborhoods. It was the time of the ”ghettos”, these meeting places of warmly animated young people against a background of musical din, with the teapot constantly bubbling, the games of belote, and often the idle and interminable discussions in the tone sometimes pleasant sometimes stormy, etc. In addition to the strong bonds of friendship and solidarity which helped to strengthen them, these gathering points were leisure settings which offered young people spaces conducive to their full development. In such an atmosphere, the human warmth was very strong and translated into strong bonds of friendship making the members of these youth groups truly “inseparable”. Alas, as someone else would say, it was a time…
Nowadays, nothing happens as before. The internet and social networks have appeared, and community life and young people’s leisure activities are seriously impacted. No more space or time for these “spectacles” of pleasant chat sessions between friends. They may find themselves together in their fadas, but today’s young people will hardly taste the intense human warmth that their predecessors experienced.
Indeed, what do we see? In fadas and other chat circles (often even for adults), people find themselves together in the same places, in body, but not in mind. Everyone remains glued and focused on the screen of their smartphone, exchanging via WhatsApp (or Facebook) with other people a thousand miles away. We could call such a posture, being together, but apart….
For others, it’s the ideal time to watch videos or listen to a whole range of voice messages lined up in different WhatsApp groups. Still others prefer to devote these meetings, which are supposed to be moments of good reunion between comrades, to engage in discussions with other virtual interlocutors scattered across the four corners of the world, but gathered in the “magic box” of thunderous WhatsApp groups.
This shows to what extent, with the shock of social networks, these meetings between friends have transformed into real failed meetings. What can we say, except that new technologies and social networks have already seriously finished demolishing human relationships, as we once appreciated them.
Assane Soumana (Onep)
