Dear Editor,

Every generation has experienced technology differently. The Baby Boomers grew up without the Internet, smartphones, or social media. Generation X witnessed the arrival of the personal computer and the birth of the Internet. Millennials came of age as the Internet became mainstream, while Generation Z and Generation Alpha are the first generations to be born into a world in which smartphones, social media, and artificial intelligence (AI) are as common as electricity.

This distinction is important because it helps explain why younger generations appear far more vulnerable to digital dependency. Unlike previous generations that gradually adapted to technology, many children today have never experienced life without algorithm-driven social media feeds, instant messaging, endless scrolling, and constant notifications. Their brains are developing alongside technologies specifically engineered to maximise engagement.

The concern is no longer merely theoretical. Governments, educators, psychologists, and medical professionals worldwide are increasingly treating excessive social media use as a public health concern rather than simply a lifestyle choice. The 2023 advisory by the United States surgeon general warned that while social media offers genuine benefits, there is growing evidence linking excessive use among adolescents to anxiety, depression, sleep disruption, poor self-esteem, and other mental health concerns. The advisory noted that teenagers who spend more than three hours daily on social media may face significantly greater risks of poor mental health outcomes.

Equally concerning are the thousands of lawsuits now facing some of the world’s largest technology companies.
Meta, ByteDance (
TikTok),
Snap, and
YouTube have all been accused in courts across the United States of deliberately designing products with addictive features such as infinite scrolling, autoplay, algorithmic recommendations, and constant notifications to keep young users online for as long as possible. While these companies dispute many of the allegations, several cases have already resulted in substantial settlements or verdicts, and thousands more remain before the courts.

Jamaica would be wise to view these developments not simply as American lawsuits but as warning signs. We are a small nation, and one of our greatest assets is our people. If increasing numbers of our youth become absorbed by the virtual world at the expense of real communities, meaningful relationships, education, entrepreneurship, and civic participation, we risk paying a social price that cannot easily be measured in dollars.

There is another danger that deserves attention. Social media rewards content that attracts views rather than content that builds character. The race for likes, subscribers, and advertising revenue often encourages sensationalism, vulgarity, outrage, misinformation, and increasingly extreme behaviour. Algorithms do not necessarily promote what is good for society; they promote what keeps users watching.

Jamaica has always been admired for its rich cultural identity, creativity, resilience, and sense of community. Yet if our national identity becomes increasingly shaped by trends imported through global platforms, we may gradually exchange authentic Jamaican culture for digital popularity. Freedom of expression is a cornerstone of democracy, and every Jamaican has the right to create content. However, freedom also carries responsibility. Content creators should not only ask: Will this go viral? They should also ask: What values am I promoting?

Technology itself is not the enemy. It has transformed education, commerce, health care, communication, and innovation. The challenge is ensuring that we remain masters of technology rather than becoming servants to it.

Our schools should expand digital literacy programmes that teach children not only how to use technology but also how technology uses them. Parents must become active participants in their children’s digital lives. Policymakers should study the international evidence emerging from scientific research and ongoing litigation to determine whether additional safeguards for children are necessary. Most importantly, as a society, we must preserve spaces where family, faith, sports, reading, conversation, and community remain stronger influences than algorithms.

The Internet should expand Jamaica’s opportunities, not diminish Jamaica’s identity. If we fail to strike that balance, we may discover too late that, while we gained followers online, we lost ourselves as a nation.

St Aubyn Richards

clever2g@yahoo.com