As concerns grow in Canada over cyberbullying, mental health issues, and possible links between online content and real-world violence, the provinces are increasingly looking to Australia’s ban on social media for minors as a possible model.
But for Australia’s experiment—praised by some as the next great public health intervention and criticized by others as unworkable government overreach—the evidence is still emerging.
Manitoba’s government said last month it plans to prohibit children under the age of 16 from using social media and artificial intelligence chat platforms, while Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Ontario have all expressed openness to similar measures. Delegates at the federal Liberal convention last month also backed a non-binding motion supporting a national social media ban for youth under 16, while the federal government has said it’s looking into the issue….