The Tribune

THE Bahamas Telecommunications Company awarded completion certificates to ninety high school students who can now boast that they are much more knowledgeable about internet safety and the consequences of cyberbullying.

The students participated in a Safer Internet Day Summit hosted by BTC in partnership with the Public Affairs Unit of the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) on February 7. The summit, held at the Paul Farquharson Conference Centre at police headquarters, brought students from three high schools together to learn more about cyberbullying and the various ways to use technology respectfully and responsibly.

BTC’s recent Safer Internet Day Summit allowed CI Gibson, CC Sweeting, and Government High school students to engage in frank discussions with members of the RBPF. 

Deputy Commissioner of Police Leamond Deleveaux urged the students to stay focused on their educational goals and use the internet responsibly. 

“The internet was designed for the purpose to educate and to do good, however, we have seen that many among us use the internet to do very bad things to people,” Mr Deleveaux told the students. “When you use the internet to do wrong, it is likely that you would find yourselves on the wrong side of the law, so please be careful and think about everything that you post online.”

Members of the RBPF also presented high school students with live scenarios that showed how people could be charged with an offence based on what is posted online.

The students were given the opportunity to collaborate and suggest ways to address various online issues and cyberbullying, and members of BTC’s team also gave video presentations that outlined several safety tips to adopt when using the internet.

One of the highlights of the summit was having the presence of Reginald McPhee, a teen TikTok social media influencer whose popularity escalated overnight after one post generated millions of views.

BTC CEO Sameer Bhatti, who also addressed students at the Safer Internet Day Summit, said: “As a technology company, we believe that it is so important to educate students and adults on how to safely use the internet. This is the fourth year that we are celebrating Safer Internet Day, and we always include the youth because it is so important to have them learn of the many ways to use technology responsibly.”

Every year, Safer Internet Day is celebrated globally on February 6th to raise awareness of a safer and better internet for all, especially children and young adults.

In addition to hosting a Teen Summit, BTC has also launched a Video Essay Competition where students in grades 10-12 will address topics related to internet safety. Winners will receive cash prizes of up to $1,000. The competition will continue from February 1st to 29th.