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The Government of Saskatchewan is sharing the results of its province-wide survey on whether residents wanted to see social media limits imposed on youth.
According to the province, more than 86 per cent of people who responded to the survey were in support of social media limits for children under the age of 16.
Less than 14 per cent answered “no,” out of those who responded to the question.
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Mental Health and Addictions Minister Lori Carr thanked the thousands of Saskatchewan people who shared their views through the survey.
“The results have been shared with the Federal Government and the feedback received will help inform Saskatchewan’s participation in broader discussions regarding online safety and the wellbeing of young people,” she said in the statement from the province.
The survey asked respondents about possible restrictions for major social media platforms like TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat. It also asked respondents about what ages should be restricted.
The province said a majority shared that social media limits should apply to youth aged 16 and under and Youtube was the platform most frequently identified as warranting an exemption from limits, though restrictions across all major platforms were generally supported.
Saskatchewan-based non-profit, Youth Matter Canada, has travelled across the province to speak with thousands of youth, parents and educators over the past years, according to its executive director, Laura Lawrence.
“The message we have heard has been very clear: the addictive design of digital platforms like social media and YouTube, combined with the prevalence of harmful content and online predators, poses a real risk to the mental health and wellbeing of our children and teens,” she said in the provincial release. “Age-appropriate access is an important first step, but it can not be the only one. Education, awareness of online harms, and healthy boundaries around when and how technology is used are all essential to protecting young people and helping them build a healthier relationship with technology.”
The province said it will use the survey results to support ongoing discussions with the Canadian government on possible measures for further protection of children and youth online.
Earlier this year, the Liberal government introduced new online safety legislation in the form of Bill C-34. The legislation included a new AI strategy, a privacy bill, blocked new rules requiring streamers to help fund Canadian content and required social media platforms to ban children under the age of 16.
