The internet has increasingly transformed our social behaviour. Close neighbours at home or at work would rather spend hours chatting on the internet instead of doing a cup of coffee or tea. Is the web causing us to socialise less?

By Anne Mireille Nzouankeu, Yaoundé

Cyrille Ondoua and Julie Tchakounté both work in the same office. Yet, they communicate more in the virtual world than in the real one. “Sometimes we want to talk but don’t want to disturb our colleagues. So we communicate online”, explains Julie Tchakounté.

Virtual office
Jean-Patrice Samba is a promoter and represents various artists and musicians. He also organises shows on a regular basis.

“Last year, I used to regularly frequent cultural centres, cabarets and nightclubs in order to stay up-to-date and keep in touch with artists and performers. Today, I receive newsletters from cultural centres and contact artists through social networks. Facebook has become my virtual office”, he explains. “I can organise shows, hire venue and send invitations from the comfort of my home”, he adds, smiling.

Disconnected from the real world
“I no longer see the need to visit some of my friends, as we are constantly in touch on the internet. Moreover, I can chat simultaneously with people from different parts of the globe”, reasons Patricia Ondoa.

Like Julie and Patricia, many other young Cameroonians, sometimes neighbours, colleagues or classmates, spend endless hours online or on their mobile phone, chatting and exchanging pictures while they could have done the same over a drink. This gives the impression that social networks are the cause of their disconnection from the real world.

According to social scientist Michel Mbida, that is not the case. “No one can escape the effects of globalisation. The fact that people no longer hang out in coffee shops, for example, is not an indication of their unwillingness to socialise, because socialising has evolved. Today, social integration is about being present on the web”, he explains.

Good business
Alexis Guillaume Ngando manages an Internet café. He admits that his profits have sensibly increased with the boom of social networks. He noticed that his best customers were those who visited social networks websites.

“Ordinary customers - those who only check their emails or do some typing - usually spend less than an hour in my Internet café. However, the social networks addicts are more regular customers. They are often so absorbed by their virtual conversations that they lose track of time. They can stay online for three to four hours, and sometimes even longer”, he explains.

Bad employees
The omnipresence of social networks in people’s lives also has its downsides. Victor Mbida is the manager of small marketing company. The five employees who constitute his workforce often use the Internet to send offers to clients. From his office, Victor Mbida can access the employees’ computers.

“I noticed that they are always on Facebook or other instant messaging websites”, he complains. “When I confront them, they claim that they are communicating with clients, but I know that our clients are not among their friends on Facebook”, he adds. This manager revealed that he was looking for a way to prevent his employees from “socialising” during work hours.

Some coffee shop owners have found the solution. They have set up Wi-Fi hotspots in their establishments. At Tchop et Yamo, a coffee shop in the capital, Yaoundé, customers can enjoy 24 hours of Internet access for just 1.5 euros. A competitive tariff indeed, especially compared to the 0.61 euros per hour charged by internet cafés. The idea seems to be a success, as the place is sometimes packed to capacity.