Media personality Idowu Adeyemi popularly known as Yhemolee, has expressed dismay over the rising wave of online begging across social media platforms.

The father of one lamented their transformation from spaces of creativity and connection into hubs for financial solicitations.

In an Instagram post, he criticised users who flood comment sections with bank account details, seeking money from near-strangers, distinguishing them from street beggars only by their access to internet data.

Yhemolee, known for his 2020 hit “Mon Cheri” alongside Chinko Ekun and Asake, and roles in Nollywood films like Gangs of Lagos and Alakada: Bad and Boujee, called out those skilled in what he termed the “art of begging,” urging them to bypass his posts.

He decried the shift in social media’s purpose, noting it has become a virtual begging site rather than a platform for meaningful engagement.

“It’s no longer news that social media isn’t social media anymore. It’s now a begging site. The only difference is that unlike the beggars on the road, the beggars on the internet have data.

“These days, when you post a picture, the first ten comments are account numbers. My major problem is those who have a PhD in begging. Please omit all those begging from my own picture,” he said.