Those old enough will remember the sound of a dial-up Internet modem, the anticipation felt as it played like the introduction to your favourite song, albeit where the selector made you wait too long for the drop.
After the static-like sound finally came to an end, you would now be free to enter a website. After pressing the Return key, there would be another waiting period before – finally – a web page popped up.
Younger Jamaicans have grown up with much-improved connectivity speeds with smart phones, mobile data packages, broadband and Wi-Fi will take connection issues for granted. Similarly, those who can afford higher-end devices and connections may assume that theirs is an everyday reality.
So how are Jamaicans using the Internet and what doors can it open for locals According to the Hootsuite/We Are Social Report 2019, some 54 per cent of the Jamaicans use the Internet. Fifty percent use mobile Internet, connecting devices on the go, spurred by the social media explosion which made capturing, sharing, viewing and streaming content much easier.
“It’s night and day,” online learning platform EduFocal.com CEO Gordon Swaby said as he compared the devices and connectivity he enjoys with students at the more than 100 schools his company serves.
Swaby would like to see people islandwide have access to training facilities where they can get hands-on experience with computers and digital equipment to learn new skills.
“When a Jamaican is technologically proficient, it touches every aspect of their lives and the lives of the people they interact with,” he reasoned.
“Many people have access, but they do not know what else is out there. For example, there is nothing wrong with using a platform like YouTube to stream music, but there are other uses, such as learning from instructional videos that will help you actually make money,” Swaby added.
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