The response will vary depending on whom you ask, but for the students who won the second annual Burger King Prep and Primary Debating Competition recently, social media does have value for Jamaica’s children.

According to the St Andrew Preparatory School team of Ayla Pessoa Rollins, Anna Madden and Rheana Williams, who opposed the moot: “Be it Resolved that Social Media is Harmful to the Development of Jamaica’s Children, “social media facilitates networking and connecting and making friends with persons not in the same physical space, aids social interaction and cognitive development and provides entertainment”.

They conceded that the technology does present some potential danger, but argued that parental guidance and adult supervision are essential to protecting children while allowing them to enjoy the benefits of social media.

St Andrew Prep accused the team from Our Lady of the Angels, which was proposing the moot, of wanting to “take Jamaica back to the Stone Age” and pointed to examples of teachers using social media like WhatsApp to establish and maintain study groups for the benefit of their students.

“The NIA (National Integrity Action) uses social media to communicate, Burger King uses social media to congratulate competition winners and UNICEF use social media to promote children’s rights,” St Andrew argued further.

Our Lady of the Angels — represented by Omario Norman, Danielle Kelly and TeAndre Griffiths — countered that “many of the visuals and language on social media are offensive to children and adults and its disadvantages far outweigh its positives”.

“Social media encourages children to sit for hours playing games and being unproductive and encourages cyber bullying. It has a dark side inhabited by paedophiles and can impair physical and mental health”, they argued.

Competition judges Germain Barrett (chief judge), Jamie Ann Chevannes, and Sherona Forrester, praised St Andrew Prep for their “energetic and convincing arguments” and awarded St Andrew’s Madden “Best Debater of the Season” which comprised five rounds and featuring schools from Kingston and St Catherine. “Outstanding Debater” awards were presented to Our Lady of the Angels’ Norman, Jada Smith of Duhaney Park Primary, Pessoa Rollins of St Andrew Prep, and Jessica Betty from Wolmer’s Prep.

Sabrena McDonald Radcliffe, Regional Sales and Marketing Manager of Restaurant Associates Limited, operators of Burger King in Jamaica noted that “the competition which is presented with the support of the National Integrity Action and

TVJ, challenges young debaters to think responsibly and express themselves logically on national issues”.

“It is designed to help our young debaters develop their opinions and their communication skills,” she said.

Nikiita Pearce (St Andrew) and Julienne Swaby (Our Lady of Angels) received “Champion Coach” Awards.