10 Signs Say You Dey Waste Life For Internet
Welcome to Daily Reality NG, where we break down real-life issues with honesty and clarity.
If you dey read this article, e mean say you don suspect something already. Maybe you don notice say your days dey finish, but you no fit show wetin you achieve. Maybe you dey online from morning till night, but your life no dey move forward. The truth is, many Nigerians dey waste their most productive years for internet—and them no even know.
I'm Samson Ese, founder of Daily Reality NG. I've been blogging and building online businesses in Nigeria since 2016, helped over 4,000 readers start making money online, and my sites currently serve 800,000+ monthly visitors across Africa. I've seen both sides: how internet can build you, and how e fit destroy you. This article na from real experience—both mine and the thousands of Nigerians wey I don help escape this trap.
The Day Kunle Realized He Don Waste 3 Years
Make I tell you about Kunle. This guy na my guy from university days. Sharp guy, first-class material, the kind wey everybody expect say go blow big big.
After we graduate for 2019, Kunle get job for one tech company for Lagos. Salary na ₦350,000 monthly—good money for young person wey just graduate. Him future bright pass light bulb.
But Kunle get one problem: e dey addicted to social media and online lifestyle. Every morning, once e wake up, na phone. For office, na Twitter, Instagram, Facebook. Lunch break? Online. After work? Online till 2 AM, 3 AM, sometimes even daybreak.
E go scroll through people success stories for LinkedIn, dey jealous. E go watch other people dey travel for Instagram, dey vex. E go argue politics for Twitter for hours, thinking say e dey contribute to national discourse. E go watch YouTube videos about "how to become a millionaire," but e no go actually do the work.
December 2022—three full years after him graduate—I see Kunle for wedding. Guy don add weight (from sitting down all day). Him eyes don weak (from too much screen time). E still dey the same position for office (no promotion). E never start any side business. E never learn any new skill. E never read finish one single book since we graduate.
As we dey talk, I ask am: "Guy, wetin you don achieve since we graduate?" E pause. E think. E no fit mention anything concrete. Then e tell me something wey shock me: "Samson, I swear, I no know where these three years go. I feel like say just yesterday we graduate. How time just disappear like this?"
I tell am the truth wey e painful but necessary: "Kunle, the time no disappear. You spend am for internet. You waste am for scrolling, arguing, watching other people live their lives while you dey siddon dey observe."
That conversation shake Kunle well well. E be like say person pour cold water for am. For the first time, e realize say e don waste three full years—over 1,000 days—doing nothing productive online.
If we talk am well, Kunle no be the only one. Thousands of Nigerians dey waste their life for internet every single day. The scary part? Most of them no even know.
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Let me be honest with you: internet na double-edged sword. E fit make you, e fit also destroy you. The same internet wey I use build multiple businesses, help thousands of people, and create wealth—na the same internet wey don destroy many people future.
Here's what nobody tells you: the people wey dey succeed online, them no dey spend 12 hours for social media. Them no dey argue for every Twitter thread. Them no dey watch every TikTok video. Them dey use internet with PURPOSE and DISCIPLINE.
If you fit relate to most of these 10 signs wey I go share, e mean say you need serious wake-up call. Your life dey slip away while you dey scroll.
📱 1. You No Fit Account For How You Spend Your Time Online
This na the first and most obvious sign. Ask yourself: yesterday, wetin you do for internet for 8 hours? You fit list am?
If you dey online plenty, but you no fit show concrete things wey you don achieve or learn, you dey waste time. E no matter whether you spend am for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube—if e no produce anything meaningful, na waste.
Real Talk: The 8-Hour Test
I get one simple test wey I dey use check people. If you spend 8 hours online, you suppose fit show AT LEAST one of these things:
- New skill wey you learn
- Money wey you make
- Valuable connection wey you build
- Content wey you create (article, video, etc.)
- Problem wey you solve
- Progress toward a goal
If you spend 8 hours and you no fit tick even ONE thing for this list, my brother, my sister—you don waste that time.
Many Nigerians know this struggle. We go spend whole day for phone, but if person ask us wetin we do, we go say "nothing special." That "nothing special" na how years dey disappear without achievement.
👀 2. Every Small Thing, You Must Check Your Phone
You just finish eat food—na phone. You dey inside bathroom—na phone. You dey walk for street—na phone. Person dey talk to you—your hand dey inside your pocket dey touch phone.
This na serious addiction, and e get physical name: "Nomophobia" (No-Mobile-Phone Phobia). Many Nigerians get am, but them no even know say na medical condition.
⚠️ Warning Signs of Phone Addiction:
- You dey panic if your phone battery reach 20%
- You fit check your phone over 100 times per day
- First thing you touch when you wake na your phone
- Last thing you see before you sleep na phone screen
- You go miss important conversations because you dey check phone
- You feel say your phone dey vibrate even when e no vibrate (phantom vibration syndrome)
- You prefer online interaction pass real-life conversation
According to research published in The Punch Nigeria, the average Nigerian youth now spends 7-9 hours daily on their smartphones. That's almost half of your waking hours staring at a small screen!
Think about am: if you dey check your phone every 5-10 minutes, how you go concentrate on anything important? How you go learn new skill? How you go build something meaningful?
The truth wey e painful: every time you interrupt your focus to check phone, e dey take your brain 23 minutes on average to regain full concentration. If you dey check phone 50 times per day, you don destroy your entire day's productivity.
💸 3. You Dey Online Plenty, But You No Dey Make Money From Am
This one pain me well well because I see am every day. Person go dey online 10-12 hours, scrolling, commenting, liking, sharing—but zero naira enter their account from all that activity.
Meanwhile, other people wey spend just 2-3 hours online dey make ₦50,000, ₦100,000, even millions monthly from internet. Wetin be the difference? PURPOSE and STRATEGY.
✅ How Productive People Use Internet vs. How You Dey Use Am
Productive People:
- Them dey learn in-demand skills (coding, graphics design, content writing, video editing)
- Them dey build online businesses (e-commerce, digital products, freelancing)
- Them dey create valuable content that generates income
- Them dey network with people wey fit help them grow
- Them set specific goals and work toward am daily
Time Wasters:
- Them dey watch comedy skits and funny videos all day
- Them dey argue about politics and religion for comment sections
- Them dey scroll through people's vacation photos dey jealous
- Them dey read celebrity gossip and entertainment news
- Them dey play games and bet on sports wey never pay them
I no dey say entertainment bad. But if 90% of your online time na pure entertainment without any form of value creation or income generation, you dey waste your life.
Some people go argue say "I dey online dey learn." My brother, my sister—if after 6 months of "learning," you never implement anything, you never start any project, you never make even ₦10,000 from wetin you claim say you don learn, then you no dey learn. You dey just dey consume content like person wey dey watch movie.
Real learning must produce results. If e no produce results, na entertainment in disguise.
🧠 4. You Sabi All The Gist But Get Zero Marketable Skills
You fit tell me the latest celebrity breakup. You know all the political drama. You don watch every viral video. You fit quote all the trending tweets. But if I ask you: "Wetin you fit do wey person go pay you for?"—cricket sounds.
This na perhaps the saddest sign of wasted life online. You become an expert for things wey no get any economic value, while people wey dey use their time learn real skills dey collect their money.
The Harsh Reality Check
Answer these questions honestly:
- If you lose your current job today, which skill you fit use get another one?
- Which service you fit offer online wey people go pay for?
- If you open freelancing account today, wetin you go put for your profile?
- Which digital product you fit create and sell?
- If someone give you laptop and internet, you fit make ₦50,000 in one month?
If your answers to all these questions na "I no know" or "I no sure"—despite the fact say you don dey online for years—then you need to wake up sharp sharp.
According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, youth unemployment in Nigeria don pass 42%. Many of these unemployed youths dey online every day, but them no get any digital skill wey fit help them escape poverty.
Meanwhile, people wey get skills like:
- Graphics design (using Photoshop, CorelDRAW, Canva)
- Web development (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, WordPress)
- Content writing and copywriting
- Video editing (Premiere Pro, Final Cut, DaVinci Resolve)
- Social media management
- Digital marketing (SEO, email marketing, Facebook ads)
- Virtual assistance
- Data entry and analysis
These people dey make good money online—some dey earn more than doctors and lawyers for Nigeria. And you know the funny thing? Most of them never go university. Them just spend the time wey you use dey scroll, to dey learn valuable skills.
If you spend 2 hours daily learning a skill instead of scrolling through social media, in 6 months, you go become good enough to start charging money. In one year, you fit become expert. In 2-3 years, you fit become authority for that field.
But if you continue to dey waste your time following celebrity gist and watching "how billionaires live" videos without doing anything productive, in 5 years, you go still dey the same place—broke and frustrated.
😴 5. You Dey Sleep Late Because of Internet, Wake Late, Then Do Nothing Meaningful
This one na killer. You go tell yourself say you go sleep by 10 PM. Next thing, you dey scroll. You see one video. That video lead to another one. Before you know wetin dey occur, na 2 AM, 3 AM, sometimes even daybreak.
Then you wake up by 11 AM or 12 noon—half of your productive day don go. You feel tired, lazy, unmotivated. You drag yourself comot for bed. You eat. Then you pick up your phone again and the cycle continues.
🚨 The Devastating Effects of Sleep Deprivation from Internet Addiction:
- Health Problems: High blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, weakened immune system
- Mental Issues: Depression, anxiety, mood swings, poor decision-making
- Physical Changes: Weight gain, eye problems, back pain, poor posture
- Cognitive Decline: Memory problems, difficulty concentrating, reduced creativity
- Productivity Loss: You wake late, work sluggishly, achieve nothing significant
- Opportunity Cost: While you dey sleep till noon, other people don complete 4-5 hours of productive work
Think about successful people wey you know—whether na business people, professionals, or entrepreneurs. Most of them dey wake up between 5 AM and 7 AM. Them don plan their day, them don exercise, them don even finish important tasks before you even wake up.
But you? You dey fight with sleep because you wan finish scrolling through Instagram. You dey argue with stranger for Twitter at 3 AM about something wey no even concern you. You dey watch "one more video" on YouTube till daybreak.
The painful truth: nobody ever become successful by staying up late scrolling social media. The only people wey supposed dey online late na people wey dey work on their business, complete important projects, or dey provide services to international clients in different time zones.
If your late night internet usage no dey generate income or move you closer to your goals, na pure waste.
🔴 More Warning Signs (6-10): Check Yourself Well Well
6. Your Real-Life Relationships Dey Suffer
You dey prefer online conversation pass face-to-face talk. You dey inside house with your family, but instead of gisting with them, you dey chat with strangers online. Your friends don tire to call you because you never dey available—your body dey here but your mind dey online.
Some people go even miss important family events or gatherings because them no fit commot for online. This na serious red flag. Internet supposed help us connect better, not destroy our real relationships.
7. You Dey Always Compare Your Life With Other People Online
Every time you go online, you dey see people wey dey travel, dey buy car, dey build house, dey marry fine babe or handsome guy. Then you come dey feel like failure. You dey jealous. You dey depressed.
But you no know say most of those "perfect lives" wey you dey see online na packaging. People dey post their highlight reel, not their behind-the-scenes struggle. Meanwhile, while you dey envy them, them sef dey envy another person.
The Comparison Trap
Research don show say the more time you spend for social media comparing yourself with others, the more likely you are to develop:
- Low self-esteem and self-worth issues
- Depression and anxiety disorders
- Body image problems and eating disorders
- Feelings of inadequacy and failure
- Envy, bitterness, and resentment
Instead of scrolling and comparing, use that time to work on YOUR OWN goals. In 5 years, you go be the one wey others go dey compare themselves to.
8. You No Fit Read Long Articles or Books Finish Again
This one na serious cognitive damage wey internet addiction dey cause. Your attention span don shrink. You fit watch 50 short videos back-to-back, but you no fit read one article finish. You fit scroll for hours, but you no fit concentrate on one book for 30 minutes.
Scientists call this "digital dementia"—when constant use of digital technology dey cause cognitive decline similar to brain injury. Your brain don train itself to only process information in small, quick chunks. Deep thinking, complex problem-solving, and sustained concentration don become difficult for you.
Ask yourself: when last you read one complete book? If the answer na "I no fit remember" or "years ago," you get problem.
9. You Get Plenty Unfinished Projects and Abandoned Goals
You don start YouTube channel—you post 3 videos then you stop. You don open online store—you abandon am after 2 weeks. You don start blog—e never reach 10 articles, you don forget am. You don download course to learn skill—e still dey your laptop, you never watch am finish.
Why? Because anytime challenge show small, instead of you to face am, you go run go social media to distract yourself. You prefer the instant gratification of likes and comments to the delayed gratification of building something meaningful.
The 30-Day Rule Wey Can Change Your Life
If you fit stay away from social media and entertainment internet for just 30 days while you focus on one single goal, your life go change. I don see this happen to hundreds of my students.
One guy wey come meet me, I give am this challenge: delete all social media apps for 30 days and focus on learning graphics design. After 30 days, the guy don create over 50 designs, open Fiverr account, and land him first paid gig of $50. Today, that same guy dey make over ₦300,000 monthly from freelancing.
All he did was replace scrolling time with skill-learning time. Simple formula: DELETE DISTRACTIONS + DAILY DISCIPLINE = SUCCESS
10. Deep Down, You Know Say You Dey Waste Your Life—But You Still No Dey Stop
This na perhaps the saddest sign of all. You know say you dey waste time. You don promise yourself several times say "from tomorrow, I go change." You don feel guilty, regretful, ashamed. But the next day, you still find yourself doing the same thing.
This na full-blown addiction. And like all addictions, e no easy to break without serious commitment and external support.
The fact say you dey read this article right now na good sign. E show say part of you still dey fight. Part of you still get hope. And that's where we go start the recovery process.
🎯 Key Takeaways: Wetin You Suppose Know
- Internet addiction na real thing wey dey destroy millions of Nigerian youths
- The average person wey dey waste life online fit identify with at least 7 out of these 10 signs
- Time wey you lose to scrolling na time wey you fit use build skills, business, and wealth
- Every successful person online dey use internet with PURPOSE, not for mindless scrolling
- Small changes in how you use internet fit create massive results in your life
- E no too late to change—but you must start TODAY, not tomorrow
🛑 How To Stop Wasting Your Life Online: Practical Solutions
Recognition na the first step to recovery. If you don read reach here and you don identify yourself for most of these signs, congratulations—you just pass the denial stage. Now make we talk about how to actually fix the problem.
Step 1: Track Your Screen Time (Face the Truth)
You fit lie to other people, but you no fit lie to data. Install app wey go track how you dey use your phone. For iPhone, use the built-in Screen Time feature. For Android, download apps like Digital Wellbeing, RescueTime, or Stay Focused.
After one week of honest tracking, check the report. You go shock when you see say you dey spend 8-10 hours daily for your phone. That's 56-70 hours per week. Over 200 hours per month. Almost 2,500 hours per year—wey be say if you use am to learn skill, you for don become expert for 3-4 different areas!
Step 2: Delete or Restrict Social Media Apps
This one hard, but e necessary. You no need to delete your accounts permanently (though that one go even better). Just delete the apps from your phone. If you want check social media, use browser—e go make the process more tedious, and you go naturally check am less.
Or better yet, use app blockers like Freedom, Cold Turkey, or Forest to block social media sites during your productive hours (typically 6 AM to 6 PM).
Step 3: Replace Bad Habit With Good Ones
You no fit just stop scrolling without replacing am with something else. Your brain go dey look for something to do with that free time. Make sure say you don plan productive alternatives:
- Morning scrolling: Replace with morning exercise or reading
- Lunch break scrolling: Replace with networking calls or skill practice
- Evening scrolling: Replace with working on side business or learning new skill
- Before-sleep scrolling: Replace with reading books or planning next day
The 90-Day Digital Detox Challenge
I challenge you to do this for 90 days straight:
- Days 1-30: No social media from 6 AM to 6 PM. Use this time to learn one valuable skill
- Days 31-60: Extend the ban to 8 PM. Start building something with your new skill
- Days 61-90: Only check social media on weekends. Focus on scaling your new venture
I guarantee say if you complete this challenge, your life no go ever remain the same. You go look back and wonder how you ever lived differently.
Step 4: Set Clear Goals and Use Internet Strategically
The difference between successful people and time wasters na simple: successful people dey use internet to achieve specific goals, while time wasters dey use internet to pass time.
Before you go online, ask yourself: "Wetin I wan achieve here?" If you no get clear answer, no open the app or website.
Examples of strategic internet usage:
- "I wan use YouTube learn how to edit video for the next 1 hour" ✅
- "Make I just check wetin dey happen for Twitter" ❌
- "I wan network with 5 people for my industry on LinkedIn" ✅
- "Make I scroll through Instagram small" ❌
- "I wan complete this online course module" ✅
- "Make I see funny videos on TikTok" ❌
Step 5: Find Accountability Partner
E no easy to change alone. Find person wey get the same goal to stop wasting time online. Check up on each other weekly. Share your progress and challenges. The person go help you stay disciplined when you wan give up.
Join my Daily Reality NG WhatsApp channel where we get community of people wey dey serious about changing their lives. We dey motivate each other, share wins, and hold ourselves accountable.
Step 6: Create Phone-Free Zones and Times
Designate certain places and times where phone no dey welcome:
- Phone-Free Zones: Bedroom (especially at night), dining table, bathroom (yes, seriously)
- Phone-Free Times: First hour after waking up, one hour before sleeping, during meals with family
Buy alarm clock so say you no go use "I dey use am as alarm" as excuse to keep phone for your bedroom. This one alone fit transform your sleep quality and morning productivity.
Step 7: Monetize Your Online Presence (If You Must Dey Online)
If you really must dey online, make e make sense financially. Instead of wasting time, use am to build something profitable:
- Start blog and monetize with ads and affiliate marketing (like how I do for Daily Reality NG)
- Build YouTube channel around your passion or expertise
- Offer freelance services (writing, design, programming, etc.)
- Start e-commerce business selling products online
- Become social media manager for businesses
- Create and sell digital products (courses, ebooks, templates)
See, if you go dey online sha, make money dey enter your account. No just dey waste the time for free while Mark Zuckerberg dey use your attention make billions.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How many hours per day na too much for internet?
E depend on wetin you dey use am do. If you dey work online or dey learn valuable skills, 8-10 hours fit make sense. But if you dey spend that time for social media scrolling and entertainment without any productive output, even 2-3 hours na waste. The question no be "how long," but "wetin you achieve with the time." If after 5 hours online, you no fit show any tangible result, na waste.
I need social media for my business. How I go balance am?
Business social media use supposed be strategic and time-boxed. Set specific times (like 9-10 AM and 4-5 PM) to handle business social media. Use scheduling tools like Buffer or Hootsuite to post content in advance. Turn off notifications except for business messages. Don't mix personal scrolling with business activities. Many people wey claim say them dey use social media for business dey actually waste 80% of the time scrolling through irrelevant content.
Wetin I go tell my friends wey go dey ask why I no dey online again?
Be honest. Tell them say you dey work on yourself and your goals, and you need reduce distraction. Real friends go understand and support you. Fake friends go try pull you back to their level. The truth be say, most "online friends" no really matter for your real life. Focus on the people wey truly matter—your family, close friends, mentors, and business connections. If person go vex because you dey pursue your dreams, that person no really wish you well.
How I go know say I don overcome internet addiction?
You go know when these things dey happen: (1) You fit control when and how you use internet, e no dey control you. (2) You fit go hours or even days without checking social media without feeling anxious. (3) Your screen time don reduce by at least 50% and you dey achieve more in life. (4) You get new skills, you don start projects wey dey move forward. (5) Your relationships with real people don improve. (6) You feel happier, more focused, and more productive. Recovery no happen overnight—e fit take 3-6 months of consistent effort. But e worth am.
I don try to stop before but I no fit. Wetin I suppose do?
Most people fail because them approach am wrong. Them just try use "willpower" alone, but willpower dey finite—e go finish. You need systemic approach: (1) Remove the temptation physically (delete apps, use website blockers). (2) Replace the habit with something positive. (3) Get accountability partner or join support community. (4) Track your progress daily. (5) Celebrate small wins. (6) If you fall back, no give up—just start again. Remember say addiction na serious thing. If you don try everything and e no work, consider talking to therapist wey specialize in behavioral addiction. E no be weakness to ask for help.
💭 Final Thoughts: Your Life Dey Your Hand
If you read this article reach here, I salute you. Most people no get the attention span to read 3,000+ words again—their brain don spoil from too much scrolling. The fact say you fit concentrate for this long article show say you still get hope.
Make I tell you something wey I learn from my 9 years of helping Nigerians build online businesses: The difference between success and failure na just FOCUS. E no be intelligence. E no be money. E no be connection. Na just the ability to focus on one thing consistently without distraction.
Think about am: if you fit give just ONE HOUR of focused, distraction-free work to your goals every single day, in one year, that na 365 hours. In 5 years, na 1,825 hours. That kind of focused time fit transform your entire life.
But if you continue to waste 8 hours daily scrolling, in 5 years, you go waste 14,600 hours doing nothing productive. That's almost 2 full years of your waking life—gone. Vanished. With nothing to show for it except maybe some likes, comments, and a whole lot of regret.
The choice dey your hand. Today—not tomorrow, not next week, not next month—TODAY na when you suppose make the decision. Are you going to continue wasting your life for internet, or you go take control back?
Remember Kunle story wey I tell una for the beginning? After that wedding conversation, guy delete all social media apps from him phone. E set strict internet usage rules for himself. E start learning data analysis online. Today, less than 2 years later, Kunle don switch to remote job wey dey pay am over ₦800,000 monthly. E don even start e own data consulting side business.
Same Kunle wey waste 3 years. But when e finally wake up and change, e see results in less than 2 years. You fit do the same thing—but e require serious commitment.
I no dey promise you say e go easy. Internet addiction na real addiction. Some days you go feel the urge to go back to your old ways. Some days you go feel like say you dey miss out on all the online gist and trends. Some days you go want give up.
But I dey promise you this: if you persist, if you stay disciplined, if you keep your focus on your goals instead of your phone screen, in 6 months, you go be a completely different person. In one year, your life go shock you. In 2-3 years, people wey know you before go dey ask: "Wetin this guy/girl do? How e change so tay?"
And you go look them, smile, and say: "I just stop wasting my life for internet. I take back control."
Take Action Now:
1. Share this article with at least 3 people wey you feel dey waste their life online
2. Join our WhatsApp channel below to get daily motivation and accountability
3. Pick ONE thing from this article and implement am today—not tomorrow
4. Set a reminder for 30 days from now to come back and share your progress in the comments
Your future self go thank you for the decision wey you make today. Make e count.
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