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, model and film-maker, Odey, talks to us about how he uses Obasanjo’s Internet.
What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?
I brush my teeth and wash my face, then I try not to open social media or pick up my phone. But most times I still do that. I’m always impulsed to go on Twitter but recently I’ve tried to do things outside of social media before I open social media because it kind of takes a lot of my time.
How do you use the internet for work or pleasure?
Both actually. Work and pleasure. So a big application I use is YouTube. I use that for work and pleasure. But recently I’ve been using it more for work. I learn a lot based on what I do; photography, and cinematography, by just watching many tutorial videos. Anything I want to learn, I go to YouTube. Even when I’m in my art phase, I watch videos on art. I watch on anything I need to reassure myself about. So, yeah. More work than pleasure.
What moment or episode in your life captured the essence of the internet?
So I would say that was lockdown for me. Not the early stages of lockdown but almost the middle or the end of lockdown because we didn’t have WiFi at the start of the lockdown. We had to convince my dad to get us WiFi. That was our first WiFi and it was now an unlimited fiber one. That was my first major experience with having unlimited internet. I went crazy, man. I was streaming all through. I didn’t have to think too much about what I was watching or having a limited amount of time using the internet. I was going crazy. I was gaming online. Everything I was doing at that point revolved around being online. My screen time was very high.
So I would say that was my craziest experience because it was kind of a contrast between not having stable internet access and having stable unlimited internet access. So it was wild then and because you couldn’t go out, we were just home, and everybody was connecting online.
Your favourite social media platform and why?
Right now I would say Pinterest. It’s because it’s not as chaotic. I’m extroverted, but also very introverted. So not a lot of people know me on Pinterest. I just go there to post whatever I want to post. I get a lot of inspiration from Pinterest also. So I really, love it. It doesn’t follow much trend and it’s curated to your taste. So I love Pinterest.
Do you remember the first time something you posted went viral? What was it? How did it make you feel?
It’s weird also. It was when I was dating my ex and I posted a picture of the both of us on Twitter and like, I don’t know, Twitter just went crazy about the picture and they started to say, “Ah you’re posting your babe on Twitter. Eh another man go carry am.” It reached Twitter NG and that was the problem. And yeah it was crazy.
I didn’t feel much about it except from you know, I was showing people that one of my tweets went viral “Oh see what niggas are saying.” So we just used it for a laugh and just had conversations about it. And nothing really special.
What’s the most outrage you have ever generated over something you posted? How did you react to it?
I don’t think I can remember if I’ve ever had crazy outrage over something I’ve posted. I’m also very reserved in my posting.
What rules do you live by on the internet?
Post whatever you want to post, do whatever you want to do but just be a good person in real life. Your social presence is very important and you know, that’s a well-curated part of people’s lives right now, knowing that social media is very strong in reaching new people. So whatever you’re doing, just never forget about your real life and how much that also holds a lot of value to your personality and your being.
What is your guiltiest online pleasure?
I don’t think it’s a guilty pleasure but on TikTok, there’s this video that my girlfriend sends to me about cats recreating human experiences. They’re always in bed and it’s just always so funny. It never makes sense, but it also makes sense because I’m living those experiences. I don’t say it out like, “Oh, I watch these videos or I find so much excitement in them,” but I actually do and it’s always so funny to watch. We share a very big part of our relationship watching those videos and just seeing a lot of people going through these things.
Would you say you have an online persona?
Yes, I think I do. I do have an online persona but to state the persona would be kind of hard. I’m trying to go for a bit of mystery mixed with quirky. I don’t post that much in real-time. I don’t know if it’s also because of safety, or whatever, but I like posting a day after or some hours later if I’ve left the location. I don’t know if I have a major persona, just mysterious, playful and I just post what I like.
What’s your favourite emoji and why?
So right now I like the 8-ball logo. There’s a red circle I also really like and the camera emoji. I like the red circle emoji because I just dropped the short film on Obasanjo’s internet called Chaos, and there’s a symbol on the O that I referenced from the emoji and it goes so well because it’s the same O and red circle. And that O is also referring to like my name Odey, because on my Twitter the O in my name is the red circle. So, yeah, I like that Emoji.
Are you particular about your feed?
It depends on the social media app I’m using. So for Instagram, I’m particular about my feed. I curate it how I want it to look. Both my photography page and my page. Even my Pinterest, I’m more lenient and free with it but in the general scheme of things, I’m still curating it.
For places like Twitter, I don’t care about what I post but on Instagram and Pinterest, I’m particular about my feed, how it looks, how it feels and how people would relate to it when they stumble upon it.
YouTube or TikTok? Which do you prefer and why?
YouTube right now, because honestly, the phone that I use right now kinda of hates TikTok. I don’t know. I’ll get another one that probably my TikTok will work better on, but, the one I’m using now doesn’t, so I’ll say YouTube because I use that on my laptop a lot.
Which Nigerian creator do you think the world needs to see and hear more of?
Debby. Her YouTube channel is going crazy and also Rachel’s. You guys should check them out on TikTok.
Who is the coolest person you follow and the coolest person who follows you?
There are a lot of cool people I follow. But the coolest person is me, but I don’t follow myself. But yeah, apart from me, my guy MK, Alton Mason, Rema, Ebube and Debby. A cool person who follows me is a friend of mine, Mel.
What is your favourite Nigerian podcast?
I don’t listen to podcasts like that. A friend of mine has one, I have it on my Spotify but I don’t listen to it that much, but I like it. I just need to give it more time. Chia Chats
Have you ever hooked up with someone you met online?
Yes, and no I didn’t regret it.
5 people you’d love to see answer these questions
Enoch, Rachel, Ebube, Jason and Blessing
Read previous Obasanjo’s Internet entries here
