The youth parliament held its first ever summer on July 2, 2026, to debate limiting social media for under 16’s.

The sitting at the House of Parliament, came after the motion of Limiting Social Media for Children Under the Age of 16 was moved by the Deputy Speaker, Pearlina McGaw-Lumsden MP in March 2026 and passed by elected Members of Parliament with cross-party support.

The youth parliament at the heart of a national debate

The discussion allowed them to examine the proposal before the wording of any bill is prepared, giving young members a direct role in the process and they expressed views for and against limiting social media access for those under 16.

Speaker, Mr Ezzard Mille MP, urged the YMPs to speak firmly but not to turn the chamber into a hostile place. He said: "As I tell the regular MPs who sit in these chairs, it is very important that you advocate strongly for the position that you believe in and that you're committed to, but there is no need to be adversarial. Adversariality in a debate does not add to the quality of your debate."

Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Chairman of the Youth Parliament Committee Kenneth Bryan MP also addressed the chamber. He said: "There is no group of individuals better suited to debate the realities, the challenges and the nuances and the protections of this framework than the young people sitting in the chairs before you today."

The proceedings were presided over by Youth Parliament Speaker De-Andre Beckford, YMP, who called for a division on the debate. The vote was met with great anticipation, with 7 ayes and 10 noes recorded among the YMPs, resulting in visible surprise among some of the Members of Parliament present to witness the proceedings.

Whilst the Youth MPs decisive vote does not stop the wider legislative process from moving ahead. The result presented a defining mandate on behalf of Cayman’s youth.

Young members reflected on the debate

After the session, some youth parliamentarians spoke in interviews about the discussion. Dominic Anderson, Youth MP for Savannah, who had been awarded Best Debater in March at the 19th Youth Parliament debate, said he supported limiting social media access for children under 16. He argued that social media could have serious negative effects on the mental and physical well-being of children under that age, while also recognising that it remained an important part of teenagers' social lives.

Whilst Reeci-Lee Dwar, YMP for George Town East, vowed that young people’s voices would still be heard even though the motion failed. She said several MPs had been listening and taking notes. She added that if young people were not being heard, she hoped they would still be paying attention.

Zaina Doctor, a former Youth Parliament Minister of Health, said the first summer youth parliament debate mattered because young people were the main stakeholders. She said most of the youth parliamentarians were already over 16, but the issue still affected their teenage constituents. She said the group had grown up in the digital age and knew both the benefits and the consequences of social media.

Jhenelle Colqhoon, a former youth parliamentarian, said it was possible that some members would become Members of Parliament in the near future. Citing that at least one already present had already publicly declared an interest to run for political office at the next election.

Local issue with wider impact

The debate reflected a wider public discussion about how children use digital platforms, with supporters of limits arguing for stronger protection and critics likely to question how far government should set age rules for private platforms. In Cayman, that debate carried clear local weight because any future law would apply to children under 16 across the Islands and would shape how young people used social media at home and at school.

The summer youth parliament session also showed that younger Caymanians were being brought into real policy discussions at an early stage. The issue had already moved beyond a simple idea and into the legislative process, but the youth debate gave another layer of public consideration before drafting continued. For Caymanians, this next stage matters because the final wording of any bill will decide how such a limit would work in practice for children under 16, and what it will mean for parents and educators across the Cayman Islands.