MP Sjamira Roseburg.
PHILIPSBURG--Unified Resilient St. Maarten Movement (URSM) Member of Parliament (MP) Sjamira Roseburg does not support legislation for St. Maarten banning children below a certain age from accessing social media. She says education and digital literacy would be more effective than restrictions.
Roseburg was responding to questions from “The Daily Herald” following France’s decision to approve legislation banning children under the age of 15 from accessing social media.
Asked whether St. Maarten should consider similar legislation, Roseburg said, “To be very honest, I believe it would be extremely difficult to effectively enforce legislation that bans children under a certain age from accessing social media. While I understand the concerns that have led countries like France to consider such measures, I don’t believe legislation alone will solve the problem.”
Instead, she said the focus should be on preparing young people to use social media responsibly. “My focus would be on empowering our young people rather than simply restricting them. We need to equip them with the mental strength, critical thinking skills, and confidence to distinguish right from wrong, understand that their actions online have real-life consequences, and learn how to use social media responsibly.”
Roseburg said freedom comes with responsibility and argued that children should understand why certain online behaviour can be harmful rather than simply being told what they cannot do. “Freedom has always come with responsibility. Instead of raising a generation that only knows what they cannot do, we should strive to raise one that understands why certain choices are harmful and is capable of making responsible decisions, even when no one is watching.”
While opposing a ban, Roseburg said government still has an important role to play. “That doesn’t mean government has no role to play. Parliament should encourage greater digital literacy in our schools, support parents in navigating these challenges, and ensure there are strong safeguards against cyberbullying, online exploitation, and harmful content. These are conversations we should absolutely be having.”
She said Parliament should help strengthen digital literacy, support parents and ensure safeguards are in place to protect children from online risks.
Roseburg said that building resilient, informed and responsible young people should be the priority. “In my view, our greatest investment should be in building resilient, informed, and responsible young people. Technology will continue to evolve, but if we equip our youth with the right values and judgment, they will be far better prepared to navigate whatever the digital world brings.”
