You know how you wake up and tell yourself, “That’s it… no TikTok today! I’ve had enough of scrolling through endless videos, soaking up too much news, and getting lost in the algorithm’s rabbit hole”? Yeah, me too. That was my plan today. A solid, foolproof resolution.
But then my finger slipped. Well, maybe it didn’t slip, but somehow, TikTok was open again. And there I was, staring at my feed. It didn’t take long before I was neck-deep in it: a barrage of videos about everything from the latest dance trends to the unsettling news of a “March for Remigration” in the UK.
At first, I thought, What now? But curiosity won over, and I watched till the end. The videos showed British citizens speaking passionately about wanting remigration policies. The narrative? A claim that in certain communities, British people were becoming minorities in their own country. There were statistics thrown around, percentages that hinted at population shifts, cultural changes, and fears about being “overtaken.”
My first reaction was disbelief. I scoffed. What’s the big deal? People move. The world is connected. But as I sat there, something gnawed at me.
Putting Myself in Their Shoes
Empathy isn’t always easy, but it’s necessary. So, I paused and asked myself, How would I truly feel if the tables were turned?
Imagine going back to my home state in Nigeria, to my community in Delta State, and finding it completely changed. Picture walking through the streets, and instead of the familiar faces and voices of my people, I see mainly Caucasians, Asians, and others. Would it feel like home anymore?
And then I remembered the conversations already happening in parts of Nigeria. People murmuring about the growing influence of Chinese businesses in certain regions or concerns about outsiders owning large portions of the economy. It’s not the same situation as the UK, but the unease? That, I could relate to.
The thought unsettled me. Would I feel displaced in my own homeland? Would I feel like a stranger in a place meant to be mine?
The more I thought about it, the more I realized it wasn’t just about numbers or percentages. It was about identity, belonging, and the fear of losing something deeply tied to who you are. It’s not an easy thing to admit, but those who are concerned about demographic replacements and are asking for a ‘march’ on my feed? I could understand where they were coming from.
Does that mean I agree with everything they said? Not necessarily. Fear can be blinding, and it’s easy for narratives like these to spiral into exclusion or worse. But I do believe their concerns deserve thoughtful conversations… not knee-jerk judgments.
So…
Scrolling through TikTok, I was reminded how easy it is to dismiss someone’s pain when it doesn’t mirror your own. But we’re all shaped by our experiences and environments. For me, the lesson was clear: listen more. Empathy doesn’t mean you’ll always agree, but it does mean trying to understand.
So, as I closed the app (finally), I thought about the complexity of migration, identity, and change. It’s messy. It’s emotional. It’s a conversation we all need to have with patience, compassion, and a willingness to look at the world through someone else’s eyes.
That’s how my day started… with a plan to avoid social media and ended with me rethinking the human experience altogether. Funny how life works, innit?
