Research & Media Hub

Evidence and media that underscore the urgency of protecting children’s critical developmental years and the growing movement to help them thrive.

  • "We all agree that young people should reach a certain age before they smoke, drink, or access adult content. The same can be said for social media."

    — President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen

  • " I know that most senior people in tech, certainly in Silicon Valley, do not let their children on social media.... It says a lot."

    — Canada’s Prime Minister, Mark Carney

  • "Digital platforms are taking advantage of children’s vulnerabilities, leading to compulsive internet use, diminished self-worth, body dysmorphia and self-harm."

    —Dr. Charlotte Hepburn Moore, SickKids Child Health Policy Accelerator

  • "Research confirms what educators have long known: smartphones and social media are dismantling the foundations of learning by stunting critical thinking, problem-solving, and social development."

    — Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario

  • "Today, social media addiction is a significant and increasing issue. For example, in Ontario, 78% of students aged 12–18 exceed 3+ hours a day on platforms."

    — Canadian Medical Association

  • "13 is too early … It’s a time where it’s really important for us to be thoughtful about what’s going into how they think about their own self-worth and their relationships. And the skewed and often distorted environment of social media often does a disservice to many of those children."

    — Former US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy

The Issue in the Headlines

  • Australia's social media ban for users under 16 starts now

  • Social media age limit? New bill wants Nova Scotia to lead the way for Canada

  • Des parents disent non aux téléphones intelligents avant l’âge de 14 ans

  • Aaron and Munter: Let’s take the pledge to give our kids a smartphone-free childhood

  • For parents holding off on giving their kids smartphones, the peer pressure is real

  • Parent advocacy group calls for new rules on kids’ social media use

  • Why I've Joined the No-Smartphone Before 14 Movement

  • Canadian organization pushes for social media ban for those under 16

  • Pledge to not give kids under 14 smartphones a ‘mental health initiative’: advocates

  • Sturgeon Public gets Unplugged from Smartphones

  • Should Canadian Government Put Age Restrictions for Social Media?

  • HANNAFORD: Get kids off their phones!

  • I hadn’t realized how much they affect brain development and mental health

  • Nova Scotia Liberals to table bill banning social media for kids under 16

The Research Paints an Alarming Picture

Smartphones, social media use & youth mental health

Canadian Medical Association Journal (2020)

Social media & youth: A call to action

Canadian Paediatric Society (2023)

Social media & youth mental health

The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory (2023)

Centre for Healthy Screen Use (CHSU)@ The Canadian Paediatric Society

Key Screen Policy and Advocacy Priorities:

  1. Establish an independent regulator with the powers to ensure platforms operate in the best interests of youth.

  2. Enhance platform transparency and accountability.

  3. Uphold children’s right to privacy and need for special protections online.

  4. Enforce a minimum age for social media.

  5. Prohibit advertising on digital platforms for users under the age of 18.

Learn more about CHSU Advocacy

A Lived Experience

The Extraordinary Lie: Missing Out Isn’t the Risk, Early Smartphones Are

By Kayleigh Robertson, BA Hons., CPS
Download Article

Global Surveys Show Broad Support

Problematic social media use common among NZ teens as government examines age limits
10 facts about teens and social media (Pew Research Centre, 2025)
Phone Restrictions in K-12 Schools: National Survey on Canadian Sentiment
Advocate 16+ for Social Media
Pledge to Delay Smartphones Until 14+