According to the Digital 2024 Report, Kenyans spend an average of three hours and 43 minutes on social media daily, while students spend between one and five hours online. TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram dominate their screen time, yet very few use these platforms for educational purposes.

Meanwhile, the country’s education system struggles with low student engagement, outdated teaching methods, and unequal access to learning resources. The student-to-teacher ratio in parts of the country is not admissible and schools lack modern learning materials. To address these challenges, we need to take an unconventional approach!

Globally, social media is transforming education. For instance, TikTok’s #LearnOnTikTok campaign has attracted over two billion views, showing that young people enjoy learning in bite-sized, engaging formats. YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels are helping students master science, math, and even coding in just minutes. Kenya can embrace this trend and make education more enjoyable, accessible, and interactive.

Many students find traditional teaching methods unengaging. Rote memorisation, lengthy lectures, and outdated curriculums do not capture their attention. As a result, students lose interest, perform poorly, and struggle to retain information.

The digital gap creates significant disparities in access to high-quality education. According to a Kenya National Bureau of Statistics estimate, just 25 percent of individuals in rural regions have access to the internet, compared to 56.5 percent in urban areas. However, as infrastructure improves, this number is to rise.

Meanwhile, Kenyan teens spend over 30 hours a week on social media, but most use it for entertainment rather than education. If students are already online, why not turn their screen time into a powerful learning experience?

Social media thrives on fast, engaging content. Educators can use storytelling, challenges, and humour to simplify complex subjects. Students can join 30-second TikTok learning challenges, making problem-solving exciting. Local influencers like General Theodore, Awinja, and Crazy Kennar could create skits explaining history, science, and business. Even viral TikTok dances could become mnemonic techniques for remembering formulas or historical events. Is it possible, yes, and a source of generating income too? Alakh Pandey started posting short science tutorials on YouTube and TikTok. His content went viral, leading to Physics Wallah EdTech, now worth $1 billion, proving that students embrace short-form digital learning.

Social media platforms use AI to recommend content. The same technology can personalise learning by suggesting videos based on student weaknesses. A struggling student could get tailored explainer videos. AI-powered quizzes can assess learning and recommend additional resources. Social media can turn any smartphone into a classroom, breaking geographical and financial barriers. Students already use WhatsApp and Telegram for discussions, formalising these as study groups could boost learning.

Teachers could host live sessions on Instagram or YouTube, while professionals could use Twitter Spaces or TikTok Live for career guidance.

Many Kenyan students cannot afford textbooks or expensive online courses. Social media offers low-cost, accessible alternatives. Teachers can upload compressed videos for students with limited data. Lessons in Swahili, Sheng, or vernacular languages could make learning easier. Partnerships with telcos could see data prices fall.

Excessive screen time distracts students from learning, so schools and parents should set limits and promote structured use of social media for education.

Rather than banning social media in schools, we should use it as a digital classroom. The future of education is mobile, interactive, and accessible, possibly starting with a TikTok video.

— The writer is an Innovations Evangelist and a PhD Candidate;