Keznamdi Takes On Tech Companies, Social Media Addiction In ‘Identity Crisis’

Tech companies capitalizing on people’s screen addictions and social media illusions, which impact a growing identity crisis among young people, have seemingly spurred Reggae artist Keznamdi into musical action.

A week ago, Keznamdi released Identity Crisis, a song whose verses examine how social media, whilst providing a platform for self-expression, can be likened to a double-edged sword, as it simultaneously fuels unrealistic standards and a constant desire for external validation.

The track, which has been hailed as “message music”, is the first Jamaican song to take on frontally the subject of the impact of social media on the shaping of the identity of youths and their apparent over-reliance on the medium.

Prior to its release a week ago, Keznamdi had been cautioning parents to not only monitor their children’s online activities but also to be aware of their own internet usage.

“It’s a crucial conversation in today’s world. Massive companies capitalizing on screen addiction. Parents protect your children from the screen and Be mindful of your online habits and remember: your worth isn’t defined by likes, comments, or followers,” he noted in one Instagram post.

“Caught in the web of social media, constantly comparing, constantly questioning. It’s easy to lose sight of who we truly are amidst the curated feeds and filtered realities. Time to unplug, reconnect with ourselves, and reclaim our authentic identities. #IdentityCrisis #offlineisthenewluxury,” he added in another.

An identity crisis is described by psychologists as a period of uncertainty or confusion in a person’s life, which occurs when his/her sense of identity becomes insecure and unstable.

The song, whose accompanying video premiered on YouTube on June 21, has been well-received by his fans and many of his musical compatriots, including Romain Virgo, Lila Ike, Jahmiel, Iba Mahr, and German Reggae singer Gentleman.

In the first stanza of Keznamdi’s Identity Crisis, he reflects on the youths’ tendency to remain riveted to their phone screens, comparing themselves with their peers, celebs and influencers, while erroneously thinking the facade they present online is reality.

“This generation we suh glued to the screens/All for the views/ All for the likes/And its far from the truth/ Addicited to the feed/Like crack for the phenes/ Lost in the memees/ Times like these/ Its all for the fame and the glamorous/ Identity crisis/ Then we all smile for the cameras,” he sings.

In the second verse Keznamdi addresses women delivertely using risque aka “skin out” photos to attraction attraction and to “get their careers in motion”, and how these are the posts which are driven by the algorithms. He also addresses how paying attention to comments has driven self-conscious women to go “under the knife”.

The state of Dancehall music is not left out of his commentary, as he touches briefly on it, noting that “inna di Dancehall it get sexual”.

His ultimate message though is to admonish social media users to never compare their lives to what they see others presenting online.

He sings: “So friend nuh compare your life/ To that photograph. It only show the smile, the laugh/ And if you ever learn the half Yu get fi understand dem lost”.