The TikTok download screen in October, 2023. It would be wonderful if we could take childhood back from the social-media giants with a simple ban, but sadly it's not that simple.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
Children and teens have been left largely to their own devices, in a literal sense, in the era of social media. That era has proven to be perilous, and the perils – though long in plain sight – seem to have snuck up on Canadians, as they have nearly everywhere. We have all been living through a decades-long experiment, as the U.S. National Institutes of Health puts it, in which children have been the unwitting participants.
To state the obvious, it’s not going well. “The daily barrage of the pressures associated with social media use has proven too much,” says one international meta-study, “and adolescent mental health has taken a heavy hit around the globe.” The U.S. Surgeon General warned that social-media use has become an urgent public health issue, asserting that children and adolescents who use social media more than three hours daily face a heightened risk of mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. A Canadian study found 36 per cent of children between the ages of 10 and 13 spend more than three hours a day on social media, according to their parents.
To be clear, the research tends to show an association, not a causal link. And there are surely benefits to social-media use, too. Young people who feel oppressed and bullied at school or on social media may also find support from peer communities online and a relief from loneliness. Friendships can be strengthened, and learning from others, though not always a good thing online, may offer potential for personal growth.
Still, as the Canadian Pediatric Society said in 2023, there are “enough red flags” on children’s mental health to warrant action.
Many Canadians support banning social media, AI chatbots for children under 16, poll shows
But what action makes sense? The federal government is now considering the possibility of a ban on social-media use by children and youth under 16. Manitoba is promising a ban, though it has been vague on the details. Other jurisdictions, including the United Kingdom, are also looking in that direction. Alas, Australia implemented a ban on users under 16 last December and three months later, a report showed roughly 60 per cent of 12-15-year-olds evading it.
A more effective answer would be broad-based, involving the companies, parents, the scientific and health communities, educators and the children and teens themselves.
Let’s start with the parents. Generally speaking, it’s primarily their job to protect their children from harm, and to prepare them to protect themselves. The pediatric society advises parents to help their children recognize harmful content, to set limits on time and content and to go so far as to obtain their children’s passwords “if concerns arise.” The National Academies of Science in the U.S. encourages parents to model responsible online behaviour, such as not using phones during meals or for an hour before bedtime. Good luck with that.
To be blunt, parents are often overmatched, given the ubiquity of smartphones, the addictive design features of some social-media platforms and children’s electronic savvy. Parents need help, and it is government’s proper role to ensure product safety, especially where that product is in mass use by children.
Ottawa has no choice but to act on teen social media use, minister says
Thus, the companies themselves have a leading role to play. University of Ottawa law professor Michael Geist says the federal government should write regulations for social-media companies stressing transparency in how social-media algorithms work, and an enforceable duty to act responsibly, which would include redesigning apps that harm children.
In the absence of such regulations, more than a dozen school boards and individual schools in Ontario, and dozens of state attorneys-general in the U.S., have filed lawsuits seeking damages from social-media companies, accusing them of deliberately setting out to addict children and covering up information about the harms done. The Toronto District School Board alone is claiming more than $1.6-billion in damages. Juries in California and New Mexico upheld similar claims in March.
The court actions and jury verdicts reflect a groundswell of angst and anger that is increasing the pressure on companies and governments to act.
It would be wonderful if we could take childhood back from the social-media giants with a simple ban. Sadly, the actual work needed to protect children is much harder. That work should respect teenagers’ autonomy but also recognize their vulnerability and the need for protection.