Page 97 - Social Norms Survey

underpinned by a macho culture. The boys also talk of putting videos on YouTube and

making money.

Many young adults are less naïve. Nevertheless, for some these likes are still very important—
“Sometimes it come in like a dem world” explains one of the young women; while a young

man says, “[It] boost dem ego, yuh zimme.” As one young woman said, to laughter,
“Sometimes tru you like some people things, dem just like back yours. Half a di time the

things dem don’t even look good!”

As to the importance of thumbs down, the response from one female student was that
you block anyone who gives you that! One group of male students said that such a
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response was “Boring!” ‘Shameful bad!” and that they felt “upset.” Other male students
remained more objective on this matter and explained that it showed people disliked your

picture or your video. One volunteered his rather anti-social approach: “Mi love to thumbs
down people picture!”

As with some of the student groups, some young adults misread a thumbs down as also

showing approval. For those who understand it, most said it did not bother them but they
said for some it was “serious” or “dem vex because they aren’t number one!”

Positive Social Media Shares

Sharing takes up a large portion of time spent on social media. For the students it is two,
three, five, seven, 15, 50 times a day, “All day and all night!” They often feel obliged to

share certain religious type messages: “Sir, some a d share dem seh if yuh nuh share,
sumtin bad ago happen to yuh. Suh yuh haffi share.” Not many are as sensible as one of

the Gd.10 Anchovy girls: “When I sit down it doesn’t make sense to share them. If you share
them, Miss, that doesn’t mean you love the Lord.” A Gd. 10 boy says sometimes he gets

really tired of these religious messages; there are so many.

The students say they share both positive and negative things. Examples of positive things
given by the girls are jokes and funny videos, religious quotes and scripture readings,

cartoons, music videos, dancing, a cheerleading show, and animals doing tricks. Everyone
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47 It seems that the other two groups of female students were not asked this.

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