As a digital native (i.e., born roughly after 1970s) I have a relationship with technology that for the most part surpasses that of the older generation, those referred to as digital immigrants (i.e., born before 1970s). However, until recently I’ve lacked their deeper understanding of the changes due to new technology that have taken place from their time to our present time. I start off this blog with my main position, one that reflects my cause and hopefully paints a compelling picture that urges you to think critically about how internet technology affects you and your lifestyle, environment, community and national culture.

The internet represents a fundamental shift in how we interact with each other, something reminiscent to how the telegraph re-calibrated humanity’s sense of distance and time. Also, take for example online services like Facebook and Myspace which have enabled us for the first time to form and maintain close relationships with a larger number of people than ever before. With regards to our region, high internet penetration rates indicate that a large number of Caribbean people are using the internet in spite of having internet access issues associated with exorbitant costs and the lack of infrastructure and coverage in some areas. However, as these people increasingly come to rely on the internet for everyday tasks, what implications does this have for Caribbean society?

As internet penetration rates across the Caribbean increase, the negative implications (e.g., fraud, identity theft, invasion of privacy) of the internet become more prominent and problematic. What are regional governments and media houses doing to address these issues? Are they aware of such issues?

In other parts of the world internet use by children is fairly significant and continues to increase, no doubt here in the Caribbean this is currently the case or soon will be. What are we doing about online safety for children in the home, at school and elsewhere? Do you know what your child does online?

Some of us, I included see the internet as being advantageous for commerce, entertainment and information gathering. Nevertheless, how many of us see it as an opportunity to exercise our civic duties? Have you ever thought of organising a simple volunteer initiative (e.g., cleaning up a beach) via Facebook with your friends? Or perhaps emailing your constituency representative about a problem you and others in your area are experiencing? Or even writing a blog pertaining to local issues?

There is consensus that the internet aids globalization but some believe that it also promotes a new type of imperialism. How culturally conscious are you online? How is your nation’s agenda advanced online?

Some of us in the region are comfortable that large segments of our population are ‘computer literate’ but yet our definition of literacy is inadequate. We focus on the performative aspects of literacy in this domain (e.g., ability to use the technology) and not on the awareness of the societal issues presented by such technologies. How cyberliterate are you really?

The news media has become captivated by the internet, at times pre-occupied with the bad and ugly and yet sometimes fascinated with its offspring, of late that being social media. In effort to capture the attention of its viewers, the media seems to be in the business of sensationalising the internet. However, whatever the media highlights this becomes salient in our minds and pretty much gives us an inaccurate picture of the internet and therefore, its implications for us.

As you would read on my about page, I’m particularly interested in the emerging trends technology ushers in and especially how these changes affect us in our daily lives psychologically and otherwise. In sharing my Caribbean perspective on the issues I intend to offer an even-handed view of the Internet and adequately prepare you for what is to come. I believe that as we are adopting these technologies relatively fast considering our limitations, we are still in the early stages and therefore have the opportunity to learn from the others ahead of us and more or less do it right from the beginning. I invite your views.