THERE are some 2.97 million mobile phones in use in Jamaica, which has a population of a little over 2.7 million.

This information was shared with some 200 high school students and their teachers who attended a youth symposium on Social Media and Youth, presented by the GraceKennedy Foundation. The symposium was held at the Wyndham Kingston Hotel on November 3.

Presenter Dale Beckford, who is webmaster at GraceKennedy Limited, told his audience that mobile phones had made social media such as Facebook and Twitter very accessible, to the point where use of these media had become almost an addiction for some people.

Beckford disclosed that Facebook now has 800 million active users and that 50 per cent of these log on every day. Twitter, he said, has 175 million registered users, with one billion posts each week.

He noted that researchers had found strong evidence that some people had developed a compulsive Internet habit, whereby they replace real life social interaction with online chat rooms and social networking sites. The results, he said, suggested that this type of addictive surfing could have a serious impact on mental health.

Communication consultant, Dr Marcia Forbes, who was also a presenter at the symposium, concurred with Beckford. She noted that ownership of two or more cellular phones by one person was quite normal.

“For many Jamaicans, the cell phone is a status symbol, especially among young people,” she said.

She pointed out that, from her research, young people loved social media because they made them feel connected and helped them to build relationships.

One student related how distraught she was when she was unable to connect with her friends during last month’s BlackBerry blackout. Her comments were echoed by several others attending the symposium.

CARIMAC lecturer, Dr Anthea Henderson and IT Consultant, Francis Wade also addressed the symposium.

The symposium on Youth and Social Media was the fifth such event being staged by the GraceKennedy Foundation in its programme of exposing the nation’s youth to discussions on topics of significance to the country’s welfare and their own development.