Author Archives: Aleem Mahabir

Aleem Mahabir is an urban social geographer and graduate student pursuing an MPhil in Geography at the University of the West Indies at Mona, Jamaica. His current research focuses on the link among psychosocial geographies, exclusion and development among marginalized minority populations in Caribbean cities.
A Jamaican street with a few vendors sand a leaning telephone pole

The ICT Poverty Trap: How Technology Disparities Exacerbate the Spread of Disease and Division in Jamaica

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, social life has gone digital in new ways. People the world over are being urged to work remotely from home. Virtual get-togethers have replaced in-person gatherings as global mental health takes a tailspin. All the while, governments are being forced to switch to online platforms to deliver its services, such as welfare and various social programs. Perhaps more than at any time in human history, the ability to effectively participate economically, socially and even politically hinges on being able to harness Information Communication Technology (ICT) and its offerings. (read more...)