Havana: Revolution 2.0
The process of "opening" in Cuba has brought the entry of new technologies that reflect social changes and new ways to engage and connect.
These process have transformed public spaces, parks have become like street cyber coffees. The Park in San Rafael and Galeano went from being un space where people drink alcohol to become a meeting place, popularly renamed "the park of silence", where hundreds of people gather daily for connection.
Internet allows Cubans, among other things, communicate with family and loved ones who have gone to live abroad, and in many cases not seen for many years.
Internet in the world is generally used by people alone, that connects virtually, here is experienced in community as a social act, exchange, groups of friends gather in parks and 5 stars hotels, unique places where there are signal in town, to share connection and moments. They sit on benches, on steps, sidewalks, flowerpots. People talk online as if they were in the living room of their home, in a few hours you can hear life stories and personal affairs of many people.
There are also a few groups of young people who start their businesses thereby multiplying the signal of prepaid cards with laptops or reselling cards, because internet in Cuba is very expensive, and beyond that the signal is slow and falls all the time, people are still willing to pay what it costs a lot to get for an hour of connection.
There are many stories behind the advent of the internet to the island, many visible consequences and other less visible. Young people spend many hours, often spend everything they have, time and money. There are many girls of 15 or 16 years begin to prostitute themselves to have a next-generation smartphone. Have a new phone begin to be essential part of this ritual, and who does not have a cell begins to feel excluded.
It would be interesting to know what icons of the cuban revolution think about of this new "revolution 2.0" process.
© Sebastian Gil Miranda Photography - All rights reserved
The process of "opening" in Cuba has brought the entry of new technologies that reflect social changes and new ways to engage and connect.
These process have transformed public spaces, parks have become like street cyber coffees. The Park in San Rafael and Galeano went from being un space where people drink alcohol to become a meeting place, popularly renamed "the park of silence", where hundreds of people gather daily for connection.
Internet allows Cubans, among other things, communicate with family and loved ones who have gone to live abroad, and in many cases not seen for many years.
Internet in the world is generally used by people alone, that connects virtually, here is experienced in community as a social act, exchange, groups of friends gather in parks and 5 stars hotels, unique places where there are signal in town, to share connection and moments. They sit on benches, on steps, sidewalks, flowerpots. People talk online as if they were in the living room of their home, in a few hours you can hear life stories and personal affairs of many people.
There are also a few groups of young people who start their businesses thereby multiplying the signal of prepaid cards with laptops or reselling cards, because internet in Cuba is very expensive, and beyond that the signal is slow and falls all the time, people are still willing to pay what it costs a lot to get for an hour of connection.
There are many stories behind the advent of the internet to the island, many visible consequences and other less visible. Young people spend many hours, often spend everything they have, time and money. There are many girls of 15 or 16 years begin to prostitute themselves to have a next-generation smartphone. Have a new phone begin to be essential part of this ritual, and who does not have a cell begins to feel excluded.
It would be interesting to know what icons of the cuban revolution think about of this new "revolution 2.0" process.
© Sebastian Gil Miranda Photography - All rights reserved