Jamaicans spent nearly US$1 billion on OnlyFans in two years, UWI expert warns

Jamaicans have spent close to US$1 billion on OnlyFans over the past two years, a figure a University of the West Indies behavioural scientist says points to a troubling shift in how subscribers view relationships, personal values, faith and community life.

Teneil Rashford, who lectures in behavioural science at the UWI, told TVJ that many users may not grasp how the normalisation of paid intimate entertainment is quietly changing their expectations and day-to-day interactions. She said the trend must not be brushed aside.

Rashford also flagged longer-term effects of heavy technology use. In the short run, she said, the platform can bring a sense of fulfilment, but over time it may erode self-worth, identity and the way young people connect with each other.

Spending on the subscription site has drawn notice elsewhere in the Caribbean. Trinidad reported that its citizens spent US$1.57 million on the platform last year, while St Lucian outlets highlighted US$166,000.

Rashford cautioned that platforms such as OnlyFans are designed to keep users coming back, which can fuel compulsive habits that start in private and grow harder to control. She argued that what people do in private still ripples through families, workplaces and wider society.

Part of the answer, she said, is to build safe psychological spaces where Jamaicans and other Caribbean nationals can speak honestly about use of sexually explicit material without shame or silence. Open discussion, she added, is needed to head off possible addiction and the embarrassment that often keeps people from seeking help.

"It is a moment for us as Jamaicans and Caribbean people by extension to have a hard conversation concerning this," Rashford said.