Influence des réseaux sociaux sur les valeurs éducatives et éthiques chez les jeunes au Nord-Bénin

The dynamics and processes of transmitting educational and ethical values to younger generations are increasingly influenced by social networks. Over the past ten years, social networks have profoundly transformed communication methods in all societies. In Benin, especially young people living in the northern part of the country, are facing new problems arising from the level of adoption and integration of New Information and Technology products, particularly social networks. The speed of information and the realities of managing information from the outside are challenging traditional education in these societies and profoundly affecting educational philosophy. This ‘addiction to social networks’ among young people in Nord-Bénin is bound to have consequences in terms of new considerations of educational and ethical values. This article focuses on young people in North Benin, seeking to understand how the intensive use of social networks impacts on their educational and ethical values. Using a quantitative approach, 382 young people were identified to assess Internet addiction, based on the rate of Internet penetration in the region. Based on Max Weber’s atomistic paradigm, the results show that these young people, most of whom have no stable income, are highly dependent on social networks. This dependence, fuelled by limited resources devoted to Internet packages, leads to cultural destructuring and a weakening of traditional values, thus impacting on the existential and educational ethics of young people in North Benin.