Tap-tap pandemic: When hopes were tapped away

At first, it was just fingers on a screen, light taps, quick swipes. No stress. No investment. No risk. It seemed harmless. Then it became an obsession. Across Nigeria, from Lagos to Lokoja, Enugu to Kano, millions of young people, market women, students, job seekers, and even some professionals found themselves glued to Telegram-based games […]

At first, it was just fingers on a screen, light taps, quick swipes. No stress. No investment. No risk. It seemed harmless. Then it became an obsession. Across Nigeria, from Lagos to Lokoja, Enugu to Kano, millions of young people, market women, students, job seekers, and even some professionals found themselves glued to Telegram-based games like TapSwap, Notcoin and Yescoin. These platforms promised a simple hustle: tap your screen consistently, rack up coins, and someday, just maybe, you would cashout in crypto.

For a country grappling with youth unemployment, inflation, and a general atmosphere of economic uncertainty, this was more than just a game. It was hope. A small chance at a better life. But that hope, for many, it quickly became heartbreak.

People stopped measuring success by degrees or certificates. Coins were the new currency of respect.

Even more concerning were BBC Pidgin’s June 2024 warnings about the potential dangers, wallet exposure, malware risks, and fraud, lurking behind these Telegram-based bots.

However, all the months of tapping never yield for many. HamsterKombat, for instance, ran daily for over 6 months, asking users to complete tasks, invite friends, and mine every single day.

When the token finally launched, what many received was less than $2, even with millions of coins mined. Some didn’t get anything at all. Months of data and time, burnt for pennies.

In a country where the minimum wage can’t buy a bag of rice, and graduate degrees don’t guarantee employment, any opportunity that promises money, even with no capital, feels like a blessing. These apps needed no crypto knowledge. No blockchain degree. No startup funds.

To be fair, these projects weren’t outright scams. Many of them launched. Some users even made real money. But the reality is, they were powered by virality, not sustainability.

Now, the craze is slowing. The Telegram groups are quieter. The memes have faded. The daily tap reminders are no longer clogging WhatsApp statuses.

But there’s still a lesson in it all. For users,not every trend is worth your energy. Sometimes, free money costs too much. For developers, people are not just data points. If you offer hope, you must deliver value. For Nigeria,until we create real, sustainable economic opportunities for our youth, they will keep chasing shadows,online and offline.

The tap-tap pandemic may be fading. But the hunger that gave birth to it? Still very real. Still alive. Until that hunger is met with jobs, dignity, and real options, another illusion will rise.

Today it was tapping. Tomorrow? Who knows.

 

Festus Ojochemi Jonathan,Department of Mass Communication, Prince Abubakar Audu University.Anyigba Kogi State.