Whither Social Media for Digital Activism: The Case of the Caribbean

Abstract

The use of social media as technological conduits of democratization has taken centre stage in several academic discourses. Much of this debate has focused on socio-political movements in emerging societies, particularly, North Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. In this conceptual paper the experience of Caribbean SIDS1   is analysed from an interdisciplinary perspective by examining the extent to which ICTs are being used as instruments of empowerment for change. Based on an assessment of prevailing conditions in the Caribbean, a view posited from the research is that path dependent uses of social media have contributed to their not playing a pivotal role in [re]shaping and influencing political behaviour. Another factor that could be credited—or blamed—for the silence of focused political national conversations via social media is a leaderless presence that has not been able to collectively organize and focus disparate and priority demands towards consensus to affect policy change. Likewise we argue that the poor quality and unsustained intensity of civic literacy necessary for digital activism has hindered and demotivated subscribers from continuing online and offline participation. These along with the lack of an enabling legal and policy framework facilitative of change are also acknowledged as moderating and contingent reasons. We hope the ideas expressed in this paper will generate future empirical research focused on social media as tools of change in the democratic process in the region.