Sarah Mills: A social media ban for kids under 16 is worthy of debate
It has been adopted in Australia, and now the Saskatchewan government wants to hear views on whether kids should be allo...
Saskatchewan parents are at odds over a possible ban on social media for kids under the age of 16.
On Monday, Premier Scott Moe said the provincial government will poll the public on how it feels about prohibiting social media apps for kids who aren’t old enough to get their driver’s licence.
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“There’s much discussion about whether social media is harmful or hurtful for any of us, in particular younger, developing minds,” Moe said at the Legislative Building on Monday.
Premier Scott Moe said on March , 2026 that he would like to start receiving feedback from the public on banning social media for kids under 16, sooner rather than later. (Lisa Schick/980 CJME)
Danielle Wakely, a mom from Estevan, said she doesn’t think the ban is necessary.
“I think education is the most important part of it all, at the end of the day,” she said. “I do think that the government doesn’t need to be in our homes as much as they are.”
Wakely said her kids use some apps for educational and entertainment benefits, but screen time is heavily monitored.
“I think it’s about knowing safety, rather than banning,” she said. “Eventually, they’re gonna have to use it anyways.”
Wakely said she has different rules in place for her eight-year-old compared to her 11-year-old on what apps they are allowed to use, and for how long.
“It comes down to parents, and them being able to parent their own children, and telling them what’s safe and what’s not safe,” she said.
Wakely believes it should be up to the parents to decide the guardrails, not the government.
Social media age restrictions are an item at the federal Liberal Party’s national convention next month. (Gillian Massie/980 CJME)
However, Regina mom Arshi Ali would like to see the ban limit use for kids.
“You are going to school, you should not be exposed to the entire world at such an early age,” she said.
Ali’s daughter has a phone, but has limited access to social media apps.
“Social media has both the impacts — good and bad,” she said. “Kids, they are unaware of the bad impact of social media.”
Ali believes there should be a greater responsibility from social media companies to protect kids from becoming addicted.
A court decision from the United Stated recently awarded $3 million in damages to a plaintiff from Meta and YouTube, finding the social media platforms were responsible for causing harm to kids who were addicted to them.
The Angus Reid Institute released a poll on Monday, shows that 75 per cent of Canadians are in favour of banning social media for youth under the age of 16.
Moe said he would rather see new laws created federally, compared to provincially.
“I would like to get that underway sooner, rather than later,” he said.
— with files from The Canadian Press
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