The Impact Of Social Media vs Books: Which Has More Influence/Knowledge?

A social media personality emerged on the internet months ago and a basic small toy that would typically sell at for 600 - 1000 naira at Alaba Market —was rebranded as a "luxury fashion accessory" for bags—costing around 70 thousand naira for one, with a rebranded name called (Labubu). Within weeks, vendors across Nigeria had gone to stock up this toy in stores. This is the power of social media influence: performative, quick visibility, and easy marketing. However, here is where the bridge is drawn. A few months later, Labubu is no longer the trend. It has been replaced by a hundred newer "vibes" and erased the relevance of Labubu to society. Social media has no long-term influence and can often be unreliable. Books have not been entirely replaced, but definitely challenged and, in some spaces, even overtaken. The media has a way of influencing people's thoughts, desires, intentions, and ways of life. Over the years, it has been one of the major forces of instant influence globally. But books, especially academic ones, carry weight. Writers, scholars, and thinkers have used to shape the society— slowly but deeply. The influence of books is long-term, structured, and often reliable. This is because books carry depth and long-lasting impact. Books can actually change your life and re-wire your brain. I like to think of books as life cheat codes that you can download into your brain. You may not realize this, but it might take an author 20 years of success, failure and research to write a book. Those years are wrapped up in a book, probably a 300+ page book. Now, once you’ve read this book, years of compiled information is digested into your brain. You don’t have to use every piece of information from that book, but you can choose or pick what advice you want to follow. You become more knowledgeable and open to a better viewpoint of life. I was doing research some time about the wealthiest people on the planet and their habits. And do you want to know what I found out? Warren Buffett spends 80 percent of his time reading. Bill Gates reads 50 books a year—which is equivalent to a book a week. And lastly, Elon Musk—Tesla CEO, the man building rockets to reach Mars. He learned how to build rockets because he read a bunch of books about them. In grade school, he would read 10 hours a day. If these billionaires are reading that much, then obviously they must be doing something right. But social media flipped the model. Knowledge spreads instantly. A single post on platforms like X (Twitter) or TikTok can reach millions of people in minutes. This kind of speed is never possible with books. Influence has also become more democratized—you don't need to be a published author anymore; you just need attention. The problem with social media today is that some content creators talk about issues they do not understand (clout), and people believe them because of influence, not fact. Opinions should be honest and evidence-based. Not every opinion deserves a platform, especially when it misleads people. So many times, I've found myself hurting between two opinions on the media. I'm agreeing and liking every comment by different people with different views, leaving me with no thought or standing for myself. Social media steals your personality and replaces it with the 6-minute video clip a posted by a random influencer. Loosing the ability to have your own thought. The media prioritizes visibility over depth. But books? Depth over speed. This isn't replacement; it's a shift in how influence works. Also, there is a credibility issue. Anyone can post just anything on the media—bloggers, influencers. But books, even though imperfect, usually go through editing, fact-checking, and review. My last book read was "11 Letters I Wrote But Never Sent" by Moh Sheriff. Ever since I read that book, I haven't gotten over the words of Moh Sherrif to me regarding changing my life. That's because I've spent weeks absorbing this book. But I promise you, I can't remember my last repost on TikTok this morning. Short-term influence, and you move to the next. Meanwhile, you could read a book and not be able to move on from some excerpts after months. Books will make you wiser over time. Instantly even, one book read can generate topics of discussion and a person for years. Books can really deepen your understanding and appreciation of the world. What makes it different from other forms of entertainment is that you have to completely immerse yourself in the fictional world that the book presents. It's up to you to imagine what the character looks like and what the world looks like. Unfortunately popularity in Nigeria is instantly equated with believability and reliability. Hence why it worships its influencers like Peller, and the likes of them. Social media makes it so easy to be persuaded and influenced. Owned by people with agendas of their own. And the algorithm doesn't differentiate between information and misinformation.Instant Influence, though? That's where social media is winning right now. The real influence is stays within book readers.

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