Doctors Manitoba supports social media ban for children, teachers oppose the measure

Doctors Manitoba announced on Tuesday that it is in support of the provincial government’s move to ban social media for children 16 and under, saying it’s more important than issues such as substance use and inadequate nutrition.

“Physicians are looking at social media and excess screen time similar to smoking, substance use, and alcohol (in regards to children who are already addicted). The fact that these restrictions need to be put in place is kind of the first step (with legislation) and then the next steps are trying to deal with what’s happening (afterwards),” said Doctors Manitoba president Dr. Alon Altman during an online news conference.

In April, Premier Wab Kinew announced banning social media and AI chat for children 16 and under, the first province to do so in Canada. The government has yet to draft legislation, but Kinew did tell media at the time that fines could be in the billions for social media companies that fail to block children from using their platforms.

Manitoba is not the first government to ban social media and chat platforms for children. Australia was the first country to implement such a ban and in the three months since it launched, Australians have seen mixed results.

It was Kinew’s ban that prompted Doctors Manitoba to distribute a survey to its 3,600 practicing members regarding social media affects on children and whether they are in support of the ban.

More than 240 physicians (mainly family doctors, pediatricians, and psychiatrists) responded to the survey, showed a 90 percent approval of a social media ban.

The survey also found that social media and excessive screen time ranked as a top risk to children and youth, ahead of issues of substance use (alcohol or drugs), physical inactivity, inadequate nutrition, and injuries. Only adverse childhood experiences such as trauma, neglect or violence and socioeconomic stressors such as poverty, housing or food insecurity ranked higher than social media and excessive screen time use.

The survey found children are suffering from depression, anxiety, eating disorders, changes in social interactions, and a decrease in physical activity leading to obesity due to social media and excessive screen time use.

Pediatrician Dr. William Li is in support of a social media ban for children citing excessive use by younger children is associated with slower language development and learning difficulties in the future.

Li, who is vice-president of the Manitoba Pediatric Society, pointed to the Canadian Pediatric Society’s recommendation that children five and older have no more than two hours of screen time per day, and that includes social media use.

He urges parents to speak to their children about what they’re seeing and posting on social media and for families to develop a media plan, which can reinforce quality family time.

Li also encourages parents to mirror healthy screen time and technology use to their children by turning the phone off at bedtime and during meals and enjoying non-digital means of entertainment such as reading books.

“I think if you have a child that’s having excessive screen time to go down to zero might be a little bit tough,” he said. “And so, a lot of it might be working with the families and creating a reasonable plan that is geared towards success. And I would encourage all families who are looking for something like that to speak to their primary care physicians about that.”

While the overwhelming majority of doctors surveyed supported the province’s proposed ban, 7.5 percent were skeptical as to whether Manitoba would be able to make social media companies implement such a ban in the province and whether it was the right jurisdiction to do so.

These doctors also felt a ban wouldn’t prepare youth for the eventual access they will gain later in life to social media and AI chats and recommended alternatives such as disabling infinite scrolling on platforms, stronger moderation of harmful content, restricting advertising for minors, and digital literacy and online safety education for children and youth.

Others showing concern regarding Kinew’s proposed ban is The Manitoba Teachers’ Society.

While MTS has come out in support of Doctors Manitoba’s findings and recommendations, it is opposed to Kinew’s ban extending into the classroom.

“I think what we want to do is back up and ask the government if they are deciding to make changes to what’s currently happening in the schools, that we are at the table consulting with them about these changes. We don’t feel that there has been any consultation yet when it comes to changes that they’re making in the schools,” said MTS president Lillian Klausen.

Teachers are currently using YouTube and other apps in the classroom as a budget friendly, vetted, and controlled teaching and calming tools, according to Klausen, who noted for decades teachers have always used the technology of the day to teach their students.

“So, (let’s) sit down, talk together, discuss what our needs are, and then come up with restrictions that are appropriate for everyone,” she said.

While Doctors Manitoba has not been consulted by the province, survey results have been given to the premier’s office and to the health minister.