More than 90 per cent of respondents to a national study support some form of government regulation of social media use among minors.
The just released, National Study on Social Media Use and the Protection of Children, found that 90.2 per cent of respondents support government regulation, while 84 per cent favour a clear national policy framework.
The findings, however, do not necessarily point to an outright ban on social media use among children. About 45 per cent of respondents said they preferred a combination of sensible regulation, parental education and digital literacy programmes rather than relying solely on strong legal restrictions.
The study also found that Jamaicans do not want the government to bear sole responsibility for protecting children online.
Only 12.7 per cent of respondents believe the government should lead the effort alone. Most favour a shared responsibility model involving parents, schools and communities.
Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton, said protecting children online requires more than government intervention.
“No government policy can replace active parenting… No legislation can replace guidance within the home. No technology platform can replace the influence of families, teachers and communities,” Dr. Tufton said.
The findings are expected to guide further discussions on how Jamaica should respond to the risks children face online.
Officials say the Government deliberately chose to conduct research before developing a policy response.
“The government of Jamaica… made a deliberate decision that any policy discussion should be guided by evidence, not assumptions, not anecdotes and not simply by replicating policies developed elsewhere,” officials said during the presentation.
The study also found that parents and schools received the highest levels of trust when respondents were asked about protecting children online. Trust in social media companies and technology-based age verification systems was lower.
Dr. Tufton acknowledged that the government may not be the most trusted institution to lead the response.
“It tells us that maybe the government is not the most credible… to the extent that we can engage and collaborate with other trusted parties… I think it’s important that we recognize that as part of the strategy going forward,” he said.
He also stressed the importance of considering the role of Jamaican content creators and local online platforms in the wider discussion.
Dr. Tufton stressed that the findings do not represent an immediate government policy decision.
“This is not an announcement of policy. Just to be clear, this is not a definitive position… So this survey is intended to start that conversation,” he said.
