The President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Angel Carbonu, has criticized what he describes as the “superficial” tendencies of today’s youth, lamenting that Ghana’s younger generation has lost touch with depth, thought, and substance in culture and creativity.
Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem morning show, Mr. Carbonu questioned the value the so-called “new school” youth bring to national discourse and development.
“The so-called new school guys we see around, what are they offering us? They say when my hair was cut, I was traumatised. These Gen Zers are superficial and light. They are not deep,” he said.
He expressed disappointment over the current state of Ghanaian music, arguing that contemporary songs lack depth and purpose. “Look at the type of music we produce in this country. It is not deep, thoughtful, and it doesn’t change behaviour. We release a song and within one day, it is blown by the wind,” he lamented.
Mr. Carbonu also criticized the decline in intellectual creativity, pointing to the scarcity of thought-provoking literature from local authors. “When was the last time you saw someone produce a thought-provoking book in this country—a Ghanaian author? Because we are so light,” he noted.
He added that modern society is overly focused on materialism and trivial matters, while important national issues are sidelined. “People come on radio and talk, and you realise it’s just an addition of words—there is no depth. We are thinking of driving a Rolls-Royce or Lamborghini. We are thinking about the frivolities of life,” he said.
According to him, public discussions have been reduced to gossip and scandals, ignoring pressing matters like poverty and underdevelopment.
“Discussions on the airwaves are circulating; someone has impregnated someone, snatched someone’s wife; meanwhile, we are a poverty-stricken, third-world developing country. We want to join the trail that makes everything easy. That is what this generation is feeding us,” he added.
Mr. Carbonu concluded that while the younger generation may dismiss older voices as “old school,” they have yet to demonstrate meaningful contributions to national progress.
Source: Gertrude Otchere
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