Social media influence is creating another set of headaches for crime-fighters.
Minister of State in the Attorney General’s Office with responsibility for Crime Prevention Corey Lane says the glorifying of certain behaviours via social media is worrying and he wants to see some platforms better regulated.
“It [social media] is one of the biggest concerns for me. It can be used for positives as we have seen, but for most times, in crime, we have seen social media being used negatively. We have seen people involved in criminal activities and they use social media to glorify it. Also, you see on social media postings ‘Free this body, free that body’, showing that there are no consequences for actions.”
Lane said he was not the only one who had those concerns.
“I have had people who we call gatekeepers or community leaders who said if they had their way, they would shut down social media. A lot of the homicides [in Barbados], based on conversations I have had, are a direct result of threats on social media. Because people can sit comfortably behind a screen and say things they won’t ordinarily say in person.”
The minister said it was not just Barbados being affected by such behaviour. (NS)
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