From Superstition to Science: Why Gen Zs Are Moving Beyond Nigerian Traditional Myths and Old Wives' Folktales

My niece just turned 2 years old and last weekend, my mom was talking about shaving her hair.  

The reason? "She has come of age, and her hair is getting harder to comb.”

My mom proposed that shaving her hair now would make it grow back thick.  

And it made me wonder... how?  

What if the hair doesn’t grow thick?  

My niece basically has virgin hair right now because we haven’t started using artificial products to soften it. So why rush to shave it?

That one conversation sent me down a rabbit hole. Because it wasn’t just about hair. It was about how we learn, what we believe, and who we trust for answers now.  

For generations, Nigerian children didn’t learn about life from Google or YouTube. They learned from grandparents under the moonlight, from parents at the dinner table, and from community elders during gatherings.  

Stories, warnings, and advice passed down through oral tradition shaped how young people understood the world.  

Many beliefs were accepted without question because they came from trusted elders. Asking "Why?"was rare. The answer was usually, "That is how our forefathers did it."

Respecting elders meant respecting their knowledge. And knowledge was passed down, not looked up. Today, that is changing fast.  

THE OLD RULES WE GREW UP WITH 

If you grew up in Nigeria, you heard these before you turned 10:  

- Don’t use the left hand to give or receive items 

- Don’t sweep at night

- Burn used sanitary pads to prevent ritual use  

- Don’t whistle after dark

- Don’t cut nails at night 

- Shave a baby girl’s hair so it grows thicker 

- Pregnant women should avoid certain foods like eggs

For older generations, respecting these rules was part of respecting culture and avoiding bad luck or spiritual attacks.  

To disobey wasn’t just to break a rule. It was to invite misfortune. To shame the family. To disrespect the ancestors.  

Fear was the teacher. Obedience was the proof of respect. And most of us just nodded and obeyed, because questioning felt like rebellion.

SCIENCE IS DEBUNKING THE MYTHS

Now, Gen Z is typing those same rules into Google. And science is answering.  

1. Burning used sanitary pads  

The belief: It prevents people from using them for rituals.  

The science: There’s no evidence used pads can cause supernatural harm. Health experts recommend wrapping them properly and disposing hygienically to prevent pollution and disease. Burning can actually create toxic fumes.

2. Shaving a baby’s hair for thicker growth

 

The belief: Shaving makes hair grow back thicker.  

The science: Hair thickness and texture are determined by genetics and hormones, not shaving. Shaving is safe, but it won’t change the follicles. The new growth just looks blunt at the tip, so it _feels_ thicker.  

That’s exactly what I told my mom about my niece. We can keep her hair and learn proper detangling instead of assuming shaving is the only solution.

3. Pregnant women avoiding eggs 

The belief:Eating eggs will make the child a thief.  

The science: Eggs are full of protein, vitamins, and choline that support a baby’s brain development. Doctors encourage them in pregnancy unless there’s a medical reason not to.

4. Whistling at night attracts evil spirits

The science:No evidence. Historians and anthropologists believe this rule was created to keep children indoors and maintain peace at night. In villages without streetlights, whistling could also attract the wrong kind of attention.  

"Our parents obeyed because they feared consequences. Gen Z wants evidence."

THE NEW SOURCES OF KNOWLEDGE: THE INTERNET 

Gen Z instinctively reaches for their smartphones. A quick Google search, a TikTok explainer, a YouTube video, or even an AI chatbot can provide answers in seconds.  

Rather than relying on a single source of authority, they compare opinions, read scientific explanations, and seek evidence before accepting a claim.  

Instead of one source of authority, young people now compare opinions, read scientific studies, and look for evidence.  

When a young Nigerian sees someone in Canada, Japan, or Europe living well without burning pads or avoiding whistling, they start to ask questions.  

“If millions of people don’t follow this belief and nothing happens, why do we?”

That global comparison didn’t exist for previous generations.  

This shift doesn't necessarily mean Gen Z rejects tradition altogether. Rather, it reflects a different approach to learning. While older generations often valued inherited wisdom, younger people tend to value information that can be verified, challenged, and updated. The internet has encouraged curiosity by making knowledge more accessible than ever before.  

SOCIAL MEDIA BROADENED THE WORLDWIDE 

Social media has also broadened Gen Z's worldview. Watching people from different countries live healthy, successful lives without following many of the same traditional rules naturally raises questions.  

If millions of people elsewhere don't burn used sanitary pads or avoid sweeping at night, young Nigerians begin to wonder whether these practices are universal truths or simply cultural customs.  

A girl in Lagos watches a period-care vlog from London. A boy in Abuja follows a pregnancy doctor from the US on Instagram. A student in Enugu sees a Korean family cutting nails at night and nothing happens.  

The world is no longer far away. It’s on your For You Page. And when you see alternatives working, you start to filter.  

You start asking: is this tradition or is this just habit?

BUT THE INTERNET IS NOT A PERFECT REPLACEMENT 

However, the internet is not a perfect replacement for traditional knowledge keepers.  

While it offers access to vast amounts of information, it also exposes users to misinformation, conspiracy theories, and unverified advice. One viral video can convince thousands that drinking ginger and garlic cures everything. One tweet can spread fear faster than facts.  

Likewise, not every traditional belief is baseless. Some customs originated from practical concerns such as hygiene, safety, or social etiquette, even if their original purpose has been forgotten over time.  

- Don’t use the left hand_ started as a hygiene practice.  

- Don’t sweep at night_ was about snakes and poor lighting.  

- Greet elders properly_ was about maintaining social order.  

The problem isn’t the custom. The problem is when we keep the rule but lose the reason. When that happens, we’re left with fear instead of understanding.

So Is The Internet Replacing Elders? 

Perhaps the real question is not whether the internet is replacing grandparents and community elders, but whether their roles are evolving.  

Elders provide cultural identity, lived experience, moral guidance, and historical context—things that a search engine cannot fully replicate.  

The internet provides instant access to research, expert opinions, and diverse perspectives.  

So Is The Internet Replacing Elders?  

Not entirely. 

The internet gives instant access to research, expert opinions, and diverse views. But elders still provide cultural identity, lived experience, moral guidance, and history. Things a search engine can’t replicate.  

Think of it like this:  

Google can tell you how to treat malaria. Your grandmother can tell you how your family survived it in 1998.  YouTube can teach you how to cook. Your mother can teach you how to cook _the way your family likes it

The role is evolving. From “sole authority” to “wise interpreter.”  

From “don’t question me” to “let’s check together.”

FROM FEAR TO FACTS 

This is where we are now.  

Gen Z isn’t abandoning Nigerian culture. They’re filtering it. The goal is to keep traditions that build community, respect, and identity, while letting go of myths rooted only in fear.  

They want to keep: our languages, our food, our music, our sense of community, our respect for people.  

They want to question: rules that shame, rules that harm health, rules that cannot survive a simple “why.”  

We’re moving from superstition to science.  

From "don’t question" to let me check." 

This doesn’t make Gen Z disrespectful. It makes them responsible.  They don’t want to reject their parents. They want to understand them.  

And for elders, this is an invitation, not an attack. The most respected elders in the next decade will be the ones who can say: “I don’t know the science, but here’s why we did it. Let’s check together.” 

Back to my niece. We didn’t shave her hair. We watched YouTube tutorials on detangling 2-year-old hair, bought a better comb, and learned. Maybe her hair grows thick, maybe it doesn’t. But at least the decision was based on facts, not just fear.

 A Bridge, Not A Break  

Nigeria is in a unique moment. We have one foot in oral tradition and one foot in the digital age.  We grew up with moonlight stories and we’re growing up with Wi-Fi.  We were told “that’s how we do it” and we were also taught “critical thinking.”  

That tension is uncomfortable, but it’s also necessary. A culture that refuses to explain itself will lose the next generation.  A generation that refuses to listen will lose its roots.  

The answer is not choosing internet over elders, or elders over internet. The answer is building a bridge. Because the goal was never to obey blindly. The goal was always to live wisely.