BAN SOCIAL MEDIA ACCESS TO CANADIAN KIDS UNDER 16 YRS

Let’s help Canada become a leader in protecting youth from the harms of social media. Families need government leadership and support to make this happen.

Please sign this petition to make the following issues an immediate priority for the new Canadian government:

1. The Canadian government needs to force media companies to limit access to social media platforms to youth over 16 years of age, using fines and other effective measures to ensure compliance.
 

2. The government also needs to secure effective privacy rights specifically for children (those under 18) that prevent social media companies from sharing data collected on kids – including data collected by the age-verification technologies used to deny underage kids access to their platforms.
 

HARMS OF SOCIAL MEDIA FOR YOUTH

The evidence is clear: normal social media use by today’s standards damages children’s mental and emotional health.

A 2023 longitudinal cohort study of youth aged 12-15 controlled for baseline mental health found that 3 hours of daily use led to a 200% increased risk of poor mental health outcomes, including anxiety and depression. In the decade up to 2020, the suicide rate for young teens increased 167% for girls and 91% for boys. Social media was cited as a major factor. Other studies show profound adverse effects on body image, attention development, sleep, socialization, addiction, and school performance. We’re allowing these highly addictive platforms such as Snapchat, Instagram, X, Tiktok, and other platforms to mine our kids’ health and childhood to maximise their profits. Outcry among parents, teachers, mental health professionals, and pediatricians is deafening. 

MEDIA COMPANY RESPONSE

Social media companies see the storm coming. They are amassing lobbyists for a fight and promising families partial measures of little consequence. One example is to require parental consent for social media access to children under 13. But studies show clear harm to children over 13. And this simply places strain back on individual families to police their kids, rather than on the companies who target them. We cannot continue to leave the burden of policing minimum ages on parents any more than we would do so when teens attempt to buy alcohol. We expect liquor stores to enforce age limits. We should expect the same from social media companies.

GOVERNMENT LEADERSHIP

Governments pass laws all the time to protect children from harmful products. This need be no different.

Now is the time for Canada to act, as other jurisdictions in the world have (most recently Australia).

Please sign this petition and email the following ministers and your local MP.

(Cut/Paste Addresses: anna.gainey@parl.gc.ca, gary.anand@parl.gc.ca, sean.fraser@parl.gc.ca, patty.hajdu@parl.gc.ca, marjorie.michel@parl.gc.ca, Steven.Guilbeault@parl.gc.ca)

1) Secretary of State for Children and Youth, Anna Gainey: anna.gainey@parl.gc.ca

2) Minister of Public Safety, Gary Anandasangaree: gary.anand@parl.gc.ca

3) Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Sean Fraser: sean.fraser@parl.gc.ca

4) Minister of Jobs and Families, Patty Hajdu: patty.hajdu@parl.gc.ca

5) Minister of Health, Marjorie Michel: marjorie.michel@parl.gc.ca

6) Minister of Identity and Culture, Steven Guilbeault: Steven.Guilbeault@parl.gc.ca