Precarious Agency and the Power of Children with Digital Technology

The topic of the kinds of capability and power afforded by technology is crucial to assessing the ways in which digital technology helps children in Nigeria assert a level of control in everyday life. This is particularly important because of a broad problem in Nigerian society of children being misrepresented and misconstrued as “immature” social groupings, incapable of articulating their experiences, undisciplined, and needing constant adult supervision and direction. This chapter examines how adolescents in Nigeria perceive their agency in relation to technology usage, as well as how their peers and social circle view their technology usage and the implications for their sense of power and control. The chapter reveals that the teens’ agency is precarious, as they face pervasive challenges such as lack of support and skills, social pressure, and negative feelings from their techno-savvy or techno-sceptical circles.