KINGSTON, Jamaica- Rising online consumption among adolescents has prompted a call by one Government Senator for parents and guardians to set guidelines to safeguard their children and ensure they behave responsibly in the digital space.

Senator Dr Saphire Longmore said this was imperative in light of the fact that the youngsters’ extensive engagements within the virtual space “can be [potentially] dangerous for them”. She was speaking during her contribution to the 2024/25 State of the Nation Debate in the Senate on January 17.

Senator Longmore cited data in Jamaica indicating a significant shift in traditional social behaviours among teenagers which, she said, reflected trends in countries such as the United States of America.

“I want us to recognise that… they’re not socialising as much. They are actually being asocial because of consumption online, and there [are] a lot of kids out there who are actually quite lonely,” the Government Senator said.

She told the Upper House that this is among the reasons that several countries have banned the use of social media by children younger than 16 years.

“I’m not saying that we must consider these extremes, but we must find a balance. What I’m saying to us is that we must… remember, as parents, to guide our children in the virtual space,” Senator Longmore urged.

She also urged parents and guardians to teach their children to be resilient and grounded.

“We  have had suicides. A child, a 13 year old, not here in Jamaica… in a relationship with an AI (artificial intelligence) girlfriend, took his life because he thought, in doing so, he would be with her. When someone is grounded in who they are, being alone does not necessarily mean that you are lonely, and we need to teach our children this; we need to teach them resilience within themselves,” Longmore stated.

Meanwhile, the senator underscored the need for a paradigm shift with respect to how children are regarded in the society.

“We need to move from a place of punishment orientation to protection orientation. The fact of the matter is, when we see our children being turned [away] from school because of their hairstyles, because of their uniform, let us move away from this please. The priority is the education of the child, the priority is giving this child a chance to, perhaps, recognise why that choice was not the right one; but… marginalising them is not the way to do it,” she insisted.

Senator Longmore emphasised the importance of a balanced lifestyle being maintained by and for teenagers as they try to identify who they are, as well as their likes and dislikes.

“It is when a child is seeking to know who they are, they are trying to explore the subjects that they like in school, the food that they like, the company that they like, their sexuality, the hobbies that they like… the career they want… [that] it is critical to have balance,” she said.

Longmore noted that a broken family structure or an absent father, especially for boys, can result in loss of identity.

“They (youngsters) are seeking, and if there is no guidance, they are going to sway to what is available, hence the gangs [and] you see the uptick. Where you see the falloff in schools, you see the uptick in the justice system, you see it in the diversion programmes [and] we have to recognise this. Our youth need to know who they are,” she added.

–         JIS