A working group has been established in the Office of the Prime Minister to discuss the findings of the National Survey on Social Media Use and the Protection of Children.

Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton, made the announcement during Tuesday’s press conference at Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in Kingston, where the findings were presented.

“This working group will address responsible social media use among minors as part of its core mandate. The Ministry of Health and Wellness is represented on that committee through Dr Stephen Johnson,” he shared.

The working group will be chaired by Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister responsible for Science, Technology and Special Projects Dr Andrew Wheatley.

Dr Johnson is the lead researcher of the national survey and research fellow at the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES).

The Minister advised that Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Dr Ganesh Shetty, and the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information will also be part of the working group.

“Outside of that, the chief focus at this time is stimulating national discourse and engaging as many stakeholders as possible,” Dr Tufton said.

The survey found that 90 per cent of Jamaicans support government regulation of minors’ social media use.

“Our objective is to ensure that technology serves our children, not the other way around. We want to create a digital environment where young Jamaicans can learn, can grow, can innovate and connect safely while being protected from preventable harm. The findings released today provide us with a strong evidence base to inform that work,” Dr Tufton said.