Stephen Price, Vice President and General Manager, Flow, has encouraged greater respect and continuous movement towards increasing security within the online space.

Price’s call to action was delivered in his remarks at Flow’s Virtual Safer Internet Day Teen Summit 2022 which, under the theme “Together for a Better Internet”, kicked off its week of activities focusing on safer internet practices.

“Whether you are a young person, a parent or caregiver, a teacher or an educator, a policy-maker, or whether you represent an organisation or industry, everyone has a role to play in creating and maintaining a better online world,” he charged.

“We can all promote the positive by being kind and respectful to others and by seeking out positive opportunities to create and connect,” he reminded the hundreds of persons who tuned in for the discussion. “We can all respond to the negative by reporting inappropriate or illegal content and behaviour online.”

Flow has been staging its Safer Internet Week of activities for a few years and Price noted that coming out of the prior discussions, various best practices had been shared which persons found useful.

While there have been improvements in online interactions and engagement in some areas, Price noted that other trends are emerging in the online space.

“On one side, there is the spread of cancel culture, the hype of braffing, the rise of the dolly culture and more,” he pointed out. “On the other side, there are more digital entrepreneurs, online support groups and access to digital education opportunities. I am encouraged by the fact that more and more Jamaicans are taking a stand against the toxic behaviour and negative trends in the space,” he added.

Other events staged during its week of activities included a Think Tank with experts in cybercrime, child protection, and information technology and security, a Senior Citizens’ Forum and a Kids’ Talk for pre-teens.

As the leading provider of communications and entertainment services in Jamaica, Flow also continues its focus on online safety throughout the year, with ongoing free training programmes under the Flow Foundation, through public webinars and direct communication with customers.

“We’re mindful of our responsibility to also empower our citizens to use technology responsibly, critically and creatively as we work together to create a safer and better internet for all,” said Price.

Through its Foundation, the company remains a long-standing advocate of online safety with various programmes and initiatives, including its Safer Internet Ambassador Programme under which the company has trained over 600 pre-teens.

As it continues to encourage more persons and organisations to work “Together for a Better Internet”, the Foundation also partnered with several private and public entities including The Ministry of Science, Energy and Technology (MSET), The Jamaica Cyber Incident Response Team, The Jamaica Constabulary Force, The National Secondary Students’ Council, The Child Protection and Family Services Agency, The National Council for Senior Citizens, UReport, The Jamaica Observer and Our Today for its 2022 week of activities.