‘Too toxic!’ - Jamaicans react to Australia’s social media ban for children

Australia has just pulled the plug on social media for anyone under 16, a move that has ignited intense debate worldwide. In Jamaica, discussions about a similar policy are gaining momentum.

Stewart Jacobs, president of the National Parent-Teacher Association of Jamaica (NPTAJ), is a strong advocate for stricter social media rules for children in Jamaica. He warns that unmonitored social media use has reached dangerous levels and calls for a serious rethink.

While some schools have social media policies restricting children in uniform from posting online, Jacobs cautions that schools alone cannot solve the problem.

"The schools doing it are doing a tremendous job managing their students' digital footprint," Jacobs said.

Under the new Australian rules, which came into effect on December 10, platforms including Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok, and Threads must remove accounts belonging to children under 16 and block new sign-ups. The ban aims to protect young people from harmful content, cyberbullying, and the addictive nature of digital platforms, sparking global debate about safeguarding children online.

Jacobs argues that Jamaican children face similar risks to their Australian counterparts. He says the lack of digital literacy education across the population makes the problem even more acute.

"Parents have not learned how to guide their children properly, and the school system doesn't have it in the curriculum to teach children about digital footprints and what they expose themselves to," Jacobs said. "So a policy like that would do very well in Jamaica," he added.

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The NPTAJ head is not alone in his concerns. Samantha Brown, an IT technician based in Half-Way Tree, St Andrew, expressed strong support for a ban.

"A lot of children are using the things they see on social media to think it is the norm, so we have more fighting in school, less focus, and they are not using social media for the greater good," she reasoned.

Her sentiments were echoed by Omar Hennis, a father of three and active social media user.

"I would support the ban. It would be a good thing because social media gets so dirty and full of some little nonsense, so mi wouldn't have a problem," he said.

Hennis worries that children are overexposed and often misinformed, a concern compounded by the rise of artificial intelligence.

"Jamaica need something like that. Social media a good something, but our people just take certain information and go with, no further reading or research," he said. Hennis pointed to misinformation during the last general election as a troubling example, noting that adults struggle to discern the truth, making the issue even more serious for children.

"Too much a dem learn from TikTok," he added.

Still, Hennis stressed that parental responsibility is crucial.

"Me now a father of three has to monitor my children under 18. Dem phone can't have no [access] code, and I check dem phone any random time. Sometimes I take dem phone from them, and they cannot be on any social media," he stated.

Meanwhile, Paulette, a grandmother of seven, does not support a full ban but believes safer, separate online spaces for children are needed.

"I wouldn't ban it fully, but create a different social media platform for children and keep them from the adult one. Big people ah big people and pickney a pickney," Paulette said.

She expressed concern over the frequency of children's social media use and called for regulation.

"Dem pickney yah up morning noon and night on TikTok," she said. "It is big distraction man, all dem do is eat and go on TikTok," Paulette reasoned.