Since the start of the pandemic, COVID-19, there has been a substantial uptick in the amount of digital content that is being generated in the Caribbean. Why has that uptick occurred? We try to answer that question, and share some additional observations.

 

Over the past six or seven months, and certainly since the start of lockdowns and other restrictions that were instituted to try to manage the rate of infection of COVID-19, also called the novel coronavirus, there has been a surge in digital content across the region. In addition to the exponential rise in online meetings, there have been more webinars, online discussions and video interviews, in particular, over the course of the pandemic, when compared with a similar period in 2019.

Why has digital content in the Caribbean increased so significantly? Is it solely because of the virus? Have Caribbean citizens and businesses only NOW realised the fact that WE ALL can be content creators?

Anecdotally, there seems to be a relationship in the uptick in Caribbean-generated digital content, and COVID-19. In the paragraphs we below, we discuss a few of the reasons why that increase occurred, along with two observations that many of our new content creators might not have considered.

 

Traditional channels are not an option

As much as it might be a difficult pill to swallow, it truly does appear that the pandemic-related restrictions have been the impetus for more people to ‘think digital’. Typically, if you wanted to have a seminar, conference, or workshop, it would be in-person event. For tech events, for example, there might be a digital component, such as live streaming of some of the sessions, but it still was not a common occurrence. However, the pandemic has nixed the in-person model, since in many Caribbean countries, for example, large gatherings are still not permitted.

As a result, digital meeting options have come to the fore, with individuals and organisations now forced to think outside the box. However, it can be argued that much of the effort is still quite conservative, for example, to have a interview or panel discussions on Facebook; nevertheless, it is a start.

 

Ease of use realised

Typically, if you wanted to have an in-person seminar, conference, or workshop, it would require weeks of planning, logistics and coordination, in addition to a healthy budget and manpower, in order to deliver a successful event. To a considerable degree, and although planning and coordination are required, delivering such events online tends to require considerably less effort than an in-person activity.

Further, the popular digital platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Zoom, tend to be ease to use, and in many instances, are either free to use, or require payment of a nominal fee. As a result, once someone has a idea for an online event, with relatively little effort and resources, the event can be delivered.

 

We seem to have a lot to say

Again, traditionally, when one thought of convening a meeting or event, it was a bit of a palaver. In retrospect, and due to the ease with which people are not generating video content, in particular, people might have been intimidated by the effort and know-how they thought they needed.

Now that they have realised that the learning curve is virtually non-existent, and there is a (pretty) level playing field, people seem to be feeling more emboldened to speak; to share. Moreover, they are doing so often. In some cases, every week they are organising a webinar or online panel discussion, which it could be argued is suggesting that we have a lot to share: that there are many conversations to be had, and many stories to share.

 

Content not hosted locally

As much as it is a good thing that Caribbean citizens appear to be embracing digital, and producing more digital content, it is important to highlight that in a large proportion of the cases, the content is not being hosted locally – either within the country in which the host or organisers live, or within the Caribbean region.

As a result, and to a considerable degree, the content hosts, which in many instances are the social media platforms, are the ones who are being enriched by all of the content that has been created and hosted on their platforms. Moreover, it is not always clear – outside of visibility ­ – what value the content creators are receiving from their efforts.

 

Creators may not fully control their content

Finally, and following from the previous point, it is worth highlighting that when content is being hosted on social media platforms, in particular, the content creator is not in full control of that content. In the Terms of Use for the site, although the content creator might be acknowledged as the owner of the content, typically, he/she/it also required to grant to the platform a transferable, royalty-free, worldwide licence to use any content that is shared. Further, and as we were all made aware, thanks to the Facebook–Cambridge Analytica scandal, the social media platforms are mining user accounts and content, which they are leveraging to generate revenue.

People have also permanently lost content (videos, in particular) they created via social media, and so may have no record of those recordings. Additionally, for video content created on a particular social media platform, such as Facebook, it can be a challenge to download, in order to have a separate record of it.

 

Some parting thoughts…

Without a doubt, it is wonderful that more Caribbean people and organisations are generating digital content. The need for more local content has been a call by policymakers and regional tech experts for nearly a decade. However, one is thankful that we might have reached an inflection point in 2020, the ecosystem is not perfect. Hopefully, in the coming years, as the Caribbean digital content creation space becomes even more established and continues to grow, the region and its people will find more ways through which to leverage the content and to tell their stories.

 

 

Image credit: ulrichw (Pixabay)