Carmona warns youth: don’t be “keyboard gangsters”

President Anthony Carmona yesterday advised young people not to be “keyboard gangsters” and be mindful of their social media footprint.

He was speaking at the TT Youth Convention, University of the West Indies, Sports and Physical Education Centre (UWI SPEC), St Augustine.

He said he did not want them to get up every morning like some adults and ask, “who am I going to thrash this morning, who am I going to bad talk this morning”.

“The bloodless revolution, that is required in TT, the change we seek will start with you and how you conduct yourselves on social media.”

Carmona said there are people in the country with their Bachelor degrees and their PhDs who will never be able to get a job in foreign universities because of their social media footprint.

“There are some people in TT will never be able to work in certain companies because of their social media footprint. Social media is a wonderful form of expression but you have to engage in positivity, in transformational conduct when you are using that media.”

Carmona said the youth were in a position to provide solutions to many national issues.

“You must literally save us from ourselves, as the cognoscenti and the intelligentsia are failing us miserably, at least some of them in more ways than one. So it’s your imperative, your responsibility to become advocates for just cause that will make a difference invariably in the life of your fellow man.”

He told them that advocacy does not always result in instant success and the road to making the difference and creating change will be long and arduous but they must persevere.

“Your duty and responsibility as youth was always to change this misconception, this skewed view that society has of our young people. By doing right always, even when no one is looking and by being pillars of integrity, morality and ethics.”

He said he has been an aggressive advocate for youth in the country and has recommended at various Caribbean forums that a Caribbean Youth Parliament be established.

“Where the young people in the region either elected or appointed meet, greet and articulate their concerns but more importantly be given the opportunity to articulate the solutions to the problems we face. This must be then passed on to the Secretary General at the Caricom Secretariat so it becomes a subject matter for discussion when the Prime Ministers of the region meet so they can take on board the solutions that you proffer.”