Dear Editor,

Last year, self-acclaimed international artiste A’mari DJ Mona-Lisa left a mark on the musical industry with her lyrics, “Neko, yuh mash up mi life.” While several people thought the song made absolutely no sense, many others identified and agreed with the message she wanted to communicate, including men — but, of course, it would be “Neka” for them.

The concept of “mash up life” is, however, not new to the dancehall genre of music, as years ago Kiprich created a buzz with his hit Telephone Ting, in which he penned the line, “Telephone ting mash up life.”

With the evolution of modern technologies and the democratisation of the Internet, smartphones have become a tool used widespread in different spheres of life for commercial, social, and educational activities, but also for sharing lewd and derogatory content.

This brings me to a recent development concerning a Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) member who was implicated in an act which does not need to be spelled out. There are many theories surrounding the incident, and many comments include commendations and compliments. But, equally, there have been complaints and concerns.

However, if a telephone had not been used in such a graphic episode there would not be such public attention.

It would appear that the person(s) who released the video in the public space did not think about its implications for the officer, his place of work and colleagues, his family and other affiliations. One can only imagine how this may now be amplified.

It is also unfortunate to see how careless so many of us have become with our use of the Internet and social networks. Some people live for the ‘mix-up’ and ‘passa passa’. We see them every day on pages such as Pink Wall, Dear Dream, and Tropics. They delight in people’s business. People have an appetite for the wrong things. It does not take much time for negative, nasty, and nefarious contents to be circulated, even though we live in an era in which more children and older folks now have a share in cyber space. On the contrary, information that is uplifting and life-changing is often browsed over. Does this not contribute to why some people remain in their same low-minded position for years?

Greater responsibility is needed with our devices and use of social media. Some people are quick to see the downfall of others, but if their messages were to be screenshot, their voice notes transferred, and their videos leaked, their situation would be similar to or worse than that of the police officer.

Not everything needs to be in the public domain, especially when it relates to bedroom matters. Then again, eating rum and raison ice-cream is a long-standing tradition; it’s just that the Internet has now exposed more people who enjoy this flavour, how they enjoy it, and with what frequency.

This incident, fortunate or unfortunate, has brought into perspective, once again, the need to be mindful of our actions, but also the importance of social media and Internet professionalism. Certainly, we need to step up our educational campaign in this regard, especially as the Internet is becoming a ‘crawny’ space.

Oneil Madden

Oneil.madden@uca.fr