With Manitoba moving to implement a social media ban for children, some are calling for New Brunswick to follow suit, while others say an outright ban would be going too far.
“Get it done now,” advises cybersecurity expert David Shipley.
The CEO of Beauceron Security in Fredericton enthusiastically supports a ban that would apply to children under 16.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew announced in late April that it would be the first jurisdiction in Canada to prohibit youth under 16 from using Instagram and TikTok, among other social media platforms, as well as AI chatbots, such as ChatGPT and Claude.
That province’s education minister said the first phase would take effect in schools but didn’t say when.
It comes after reports of negative health trends among children, such as increased self-harm, and research connecting recreational screen time and mental ill-health.
The science is “abundantly clear” that social media expose children to a number of harms, said Shipley, adding sleep loss, eating disorders, body dysmorphia and sexual predators to the list.
Social media are “the nicotine of the digital era,” he said, noting that he personally uses built-in tools on his phone to limit his app use — something he likens to cutting down to a pack of cigarettes a day.
Cybersecurity expert David Shipley said policies need to catch up with the harmful effects of social media. (Michael Heenan/CBC)
“I’m not saying ban kids from the internet,” Shipley said.
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