Why Most People Find History Boring and How We’re Making It Addictive Again

Let’s not lie, history is boring.

Not always, but a lot of the time, yes. It’s slow, heavy, full of dates nobody remembers, and half the people telling it sound like they’re reading from a stone tablet. You sit through a story about a King who lived 700 years ago, and you’re like, “Okay... but how does that help me pay rent?” And I get it, Wanna know why? I’m also like that.

The truth is, most of us don’t connect with history because the conversation is never mutual. It’s always some lecture about pain, slavery, empires, colonisation, trauma, trauma, trauma rinse and repeat. No room for curiosity, no space for laughter, no place for fun, but here’s the wild thing: history shouldn’t be boring. If anything, it should be the most entertaining thing on Earth, yeah! What’s more dramatic than a whole continent of people with myths, wars, migrations, inventions, betrayals, the rise and fall of kingdoms, divine prophecies, shape-shifting warriors, ancestral codes, and a sprinkle of ancient alien theories?

Somehow, we’ve managed to take all this awesome and make it feel like a punishment.

How? Well, because...

The System Wasn’t Built For Us To Enjoy History. Let’s start with that uncomfortable truth. The way we learn about history, especially African history, has been filtered through the lens of colonisers, missionaries, and school systems that were more focused on obedience than curiosity. That’s why, in school, history felt like a burden. It was dates, names, treaties, no stories, no personalities, and no imagination. Just a literal dead subject. So when people ask why young Africans aren’t obsessed with their roots, I laugh a little, yeah, and it’s not that we don’t care, it’s that nobody made it feel like ours.

So... How Do You Make People Turn Back to History?

Make it fun.

Make it personal.

Make it interactive.

Make it ours.

And that’s exactly what we are doing at CYSTADS. We sat with this problem for months. How do you take something heavy like African history and make people want to run toward it, not run away? We didn’t want another dusty digital archive, and we weren’t building a school-without-walls, because out here we don’t learn like that. We learn through Banter, Music, Games, Community, Ceremonies and Shared experience. So we leaned into that.

Introducing a New Kind of African History Platform

We’re building a living, breathing digital experience where African history doesn’t sit quietly in the corner; it dances, it jokes, it teaches, it provokes, it pays.

Using tools like:

Augmented Reality (AR). So you can step into the past and experience African empires in real time.

Gamification. If we can win coins playing Candy Crush, why not do the same for conquering knowledge? Why do we have to always pay to learn? Why not learn and earn? You get the drift, right?

AI. Forget using AI to generate images that are only profile picture worthy, why not sneak into the past and recreate personalised content for yourself and family, using Family history and African history, to give you personalised journeys through your roots and connect the dots in ways textbooks never could.

And yes, you don’t just learn history, you earn from it too. Whether you’re contributing stories from your hometown, answering trivia, or curating your ancestral history, you get rewarded, because value should go both ways.

Why This Matters (Now More Than Ever)

This isn’t just about history; it’s about identity, it’s about power, and it’s about narrative control. If you don’t know where you’re from, you’re easier to manipulate. You’re easier to market to, easier to label, easier to sell lies to. That’s why reclaiming African history isn’t just some nostalgic hobby; it’s a digital resistance movement. At CYSTADS, we’re not just preserving the past; we’re remixing it and we’re designing it to fit into your pocket, your screen, your attention span, without losing the soul.

So... What Now?

We’re inviting anyone, whether you’re in Lagos, Accra, London, NewYork, or Cape Town, to be part of this cultural shift. If you’ve ever wondered:

• What were my ancestors like?

• What did we believe before colonisation?

• Why are some things in our culture fading?

• How can I reconnect with my roots in a way that feels fresh, not forced?

Then you’ll find your tribe here.

CYSTADS is more than an African history platform; it’s a playground, an archive, a game, a gathering place, and a Launchpad for pride. We don’t just talk about the past, we make it irresistible and we bring it to life.

Ready to start your journey into African history, culture, and identity on your terms? Click here