Now what? A call to action
We would not hand a 14-year-old the keys to a car without training, rules and safeguards. Yet we allow that same teenager unrestricted access to platforms designed to capture attention and maximize engagement.
The impacts on their physical and mental health are clear. Research involving more than 9,000 adolescents across eight countries found a .
In Canada, suicide is the for youth aged 15 to 24. Mental illness already costs us , and 70 per cent of those affected .
Regulating social media is essential. And it requires a layered approach, much like road safety.
Platforms must be designed more responsibly. Age limits should be clearly defined and meaningfully enforced. And digital literacy education should help young people understand and manage their online experiences.
The question is no longer whether action is needed, but whether it will come in time to protect the next generation.
Salima Kerai
Research Fellow, Centre for Global Child Health, The Hospital for Sick Children; Adjunct Faculty, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
