Obasanjo’s Internet – Dami Aros

Did you know that there are approximately 4.66 billion active internet users worldwide? Can you imagine all the different ways in which we all use the internet? Obasanjo’s Internet is our interview series where we speak to some of our internet favourites on how they relate to the internet and what it means to them and their work. This week, co-host of So Nigerian podcast, Dami Aros, talks to us about how he uses Obasanjo’s Internet. 

What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?

I can’t even lie. The first thing I do when I wake up is check my phone. I think the first app I check is probably my email and then Twitter. After that, I probably just get some water and then I pray, but not every time, to be honest, but yeah, that’s it.

How do you use the internet for work or pleasure?

For both actually, but I can’t even lie, majorly for pleasure. But yeah, a lot of work has been done with the internet. 

What moment or episode in your life would you say captured the essence of the internet?

I would probably say when I started my podcast. I think that was one of the periods where there weren’t that many podcasts to emulate. So I needed to do a lot of research because I wasn’t too in tune with what a podcast was or what it entailed, but I knew I’d heard of it and I knew I’d seen it in movies. I’d heard of it in American culture and a Nigerian friend of mine recommended one to me. I was intrigued. I was just basically enjoying people talking and then I had to do a lot of research. I realized that it was far bigger than what it was in Nigeria.

I joined some Discord and Telegram channels. I did a lot of research and was able to enlighten myself further. I think 2 years later, Clubhouse came and then I would join podcast rooms on Clubhouse. So I spent a lot of time there with American podcasters, just saw a different whole angle to how things were. So I think that’s one of the periods where I just did a lot of things on the internet to learn more about podcasting. 

Your favorite social media platform and why? 

For many years, my favorite social media platform was Twitter, but I think now I’m more of a TikTok guy. I do love TikTok. I just love enjoying videos. There are so many things that you can learn. I’m the type of person who even watches movies on TikTok, so I love, love, TikTok.

What was the last meme you saved?

Do you remember the first time something you posted went viral? What was it? How did it make you feel?

It has to be like 2018. I have been a very active Twitter user for many years. Always loved Twitter. So I think it was during God’s Plan and the whole Pusha T and Drake meme.  So I spread a rumor that went too viral. It got to World Star Hip Hop. My phone was hanging, people were calling me. It was a tweet about when Pusha T disclosed that Drake had a son with a pornstar and I spread the rumor that Drake’s son is, Adonis Mahbed – trying to make it all Arabic or something like that. 

I just spread the rumor that when Drake said, “I only love my bed” he was talking about Mahbed. It went viral and it got like 25,000 retweets. It was huge. It was all over American Twitter, all over Nigerian Twitter, all over the world. And then that was when the Pusha T and Drake beef was at its peak. So yeah, that was my first and I was just stunned that like, bro, just a random joke can get this huge. So yeah, I have other ones but that has to be my most viral moment. 

What’s the most outrage you have ever generated over something you posted? How did you react to it?

I’ve had many, you know, but I think my most recent one was when I casually tweeted “As a Yoruba man, you know your prayer life isn’t strong when you fall for an Igbo woman” or something like that. And then people took it out of context, taking it to tribalism, the election that happened last year, extreme tribalists just kind of brought another context to it. People that understood the joke – even Igbo women – everybody, laughed at it but you know, just based on that controversy and the whole tribalism aura in the media right now made that tweet to be taken out of context and I just didn’t mean that. I was just bantering because I tweeted that from seeing one of my brethren getting hurt by an Igbo girl and I was just like, “Hey, bro, you know, you don’t fall in love with Igbo women now. You know what happens. You know how this ends.”

I just tweeted out of his pain and banter. It just got close to 2 million impressions. It had mixed reactions. One thing about Twitter is somebody can reconstruct the context in which you tweeted something and put meanings into it. It happens a lot on Twitter, to be honest. I’m very used to it. So I just muted the tweet and went on with my day cause it’s not the first, not the 2nd time.

What rules do you live by on the internet?

I think my first rule on the internet is just to not compare yourself. One thing about the internet is whether you like it or not, subconsciously, you’re comparing yourself. You’re probably comparing yourself to somebody who may be better than you in your field or may be richer than you, someone who probably has access to more resources than you do. And one thing about the internet is everybody makes you see what they want you to see. If it gets to a point where I feel like it’s affecting my whole creative process or it’s just affecting my whole general being, I just stay off the app – and that’s usually just Instagram. 

I feel like when you’re constantly comparing yourself to other people or the lives that other people are living, you just start to lose yourself. You start to lose your own goals and ambitions that you have set for your life. So I feel like that shouldn’t be.

My second rule is just mind your business, man. Except when it deals with public figures whose business is your business, then you can now enter their business.

Would you say you have an online persona?

I feel like I do. I get this a lot; when people know me on social media, and then we meet in person and interact, they say “ah you’re a chill guy.” They see that I’m far different from my online persona, and it’s very interesting. Short story into this – So I met this girl in a friendship group setting. She was a friend of a friend and we just all hung out together and we were all so chilled. Afterward, she asked for my Twitter and realized I was blocked and I’m like rah. It just showed that she must have seen something from my page for her to block me but in person, she really enjoyed my personality. We’re very good friends now. 

What’s your favorite emoji and why?

My favorite one has to be the smirk. To be honest, yeah, I don’t even know the meaning but I feel like it can go in any situation. If you’re trying to change the context of information or a text, or if you’re trying to play double entendre with your text just use that emoji. That has to be my favorite emoji. But my most used would have to be the laughter emoji. 

Are you particular about your feed?

My Twitter, not really. I just say anything as it goes, but at the same time, I’m very particular about my branding. I’m very particular about the things I say. I’m not too careful, but I just feel like there are some things that the public doesn’t need to know. I’m not a ragamuffin, you know. I’m not just anyhow, that kind of thing. On Twitter, I’m more like say your mind man it’s your page, it’s your account. But on Instagram, I do not even like posting pictures or videos or all of that stuff. Even in my most active era on Instagram, I was posting memes on stories. It’s not like I would say I’m particular, I just don’t want to see my picture or my videos. I’m not a creative content creator. I can’t come up with video ideas. That’s why I’m fascinated by TikTok. I don’t know how to use that. I wouldn’t say I’m particular. I’m just very chill with how I use My Twitter. Twitter is the only one that I’m very expressive and just very easy to use. Other ones, I just couldn’t care less. 

Youtube or TikTok? Which do you prefer and why?

 Oh my lord. This is tough, you know, cause I’m a big YouTube man. I feel like YouTube Premium is probably the only subscription that you should have. It’s the only subscription that’s worth it. I’ve been using YouTube Premium for like 2 years. Before I eat food, I’ll pay for YouTube Premium. That’s how much I love YouTube. 

This is crazy, you know. Which do I prefer? You know what, YouTube because bro there’s nothing you can’t do on YouTube. There are just so many things you can do. I watch more movies on YouTube than on Netflix. I learn a lot on YouTube.There’s just too much information. Like there’s nothing you can’t find on YouTube. That’s just the thing.

YouTube just has a way of entertaining and there is a diverse range of things to learn. But obviously, short-form video content is more easily digestible, that’s why maybe it was a close battle with TikTok. But then there’s just so much on YouTube that you can’t underestimate the power of YouTube.

Which Nigerian creator do you think the world needs to see and hear more of?

Trench Boy 

Who is the coolest person you follow and the coolest person who follows you?

The coolest person that follows me has to be Gabzy. He follows me on Twitter. I’m a big Gabzy fan. 

Coolest page I follow, there’s this TikTok page of this guy that does random videos on escalators. He says the weirdest things and people react to him. I genuinely enjoy that guy’s content. The coolest person I follow, I like Layi Wasabi. I think he’s very funny. I think he’s very creative as well.

What is your favorite Nigerian podcast?

So Nigerian. But if I wasn’t to say So Nigerian, I think it’d be this creative podcast Why Am I Still Single? That’s what I’m currently listening to. In every episode, he explains a date that he has. I don’t know if it is fictional but he does it in a very creative way. I think it’s very different and very unique content, especially in the podcast space.

Have you ever hooked up with someone you met online? Did you regret it? 

I mean, don’t we all meet people online? Do we even meet people in person these days?

Yeah, possibly. Did I regret it? Nah I don’t think so. 

Can you list 5 people you’d love to see answer these questions?

Valking, Osas, Brazy, Deela, Amy Odili 

Read previous Obasanjo’s Internet entries here.