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WARNING: This story contains discussions of self-harm.
The Canadian Medical Association is supporting the federal government in its attempt to make social media safer for children.
Ottawa introduced Bill C-34, or the Safe Social Media Act, this past June. The Act proposes age verification to prevent children under 16 from creating social media accounts, quick removal of child sexual abuse material and AI chatbot regulations.
According to CMA president and dermatologist Dr. Bolu Ogunyemi of St. John’s, it’s time for Canada to take action against tech giants to protect young and vulnerable people.
He sat down with CBC The Signal‘s Adam Walsh to talk about the real-life harms he’s seen arise from the online world.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Adam Walsh: When it comes to Bill C-34, you’ve been around it … you were there from the start. Set up the whole picture for us.
Dr. Bolu Ogunyemi: We know that the tech giants have really been profiting off the attention, off the minds of Canadian children for too long. So we felt that time is up. We need to do something, right?
Whether it’s bullying, we’re seeing rates of anxiety, depression, hatred, sexual violence — particularly for girls — extremist content. Lots and lots of this is available online without protections, without regulation. We’re seeing the effects not just in the hospitals and emergency rooms and clinics, we’re seeing it in schools and we’re seeing it in many, many different settings. So we really think that it’s important to do something about this.
When you look at young people in your life, what do you think?
I see dozens of children every day, and it’s something we’re seeing more and more.
Pediatricians, family doctors, child psychiatrists. They are seeing increases in rates of anxiety and depression.
One thing that I’m seeing, unfortunately … lots of people with lines and scars from cutting.
Could you explain cutting?
That’s one way that folks can cope … from anxiety, severe anxiety. It’s typically the forearms and wrists; some people describe getting, like, a release.
Not to say that social media and online is the only source, but it’s certainly contributing. So that’s why we really need to do something about it.
Australia was the first country to implement a ban on social media for children under 16, but is it working? Are there lessons for Canada to learn before tabling its own legislation on digital safety? Prof. Amanda Third with Western Sydney University and a digital rights adviser for the United Nations offers her analysis to Power & Politics.
Why do you think this is possible, to bring in as legislation that might work?
There’s a shift in attitude.
Australia implemented a ban December of last year. And while children still are on social media, one, there is a reduction in social media use.
And two, through polling, it’s clear that the acceptable age for children to be on social media is higher. So whereas, you know, if some people thought it was fine at 10 or 11 or 12, some people are saying, you know, it’s 13-14. That’s a big change, right?
What do you see for the road ahead around this legislation?
The second part [of the Act], if there is an emerging risk or if there is a particular platform that is not complying … makes it easy for folks to complain. So if there are a certain number of complaints, there’s ways to tighten it up.
The other thing we need to think about is where are children going to be and what are they going to be doing if — we hope — they’re on social media less? I’ve been fortunate to meet with [Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture Marc Miller] two or three times. So I said it each time that they really need to co-ordinate this with other ministries and have a broader approach. So for example, we need safer communities.
We need to make sure green spaces are more accessible, we need to make sure that there’s other venues for folks … in marginalized communities if it’s not online — or if it is online, that it’s done in a safe way.
Any final thoughts?
I think we really need a lot of tools to have a safer online environment for all Canadians, really, because the duty to act responsibly applies to all Canadians but in particular for our future, which is our youth. So this is just one way to do that.
The Signal55:01Youth social media ban
Should kids under 16 be banned from opening social media accounts? In Canada, a new bill is in the works to shield children from the harms of social media, even if it means removing their access. On today’s show our two guests, the president of the Canadian Medical Association and a mental resilience coach whose PhD focuses on youth health, talk about a social media ban for youth can be done right.
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