Doctors back social media ban for kids, warn excess screen time a health risk

Manitoba physicians support the idea of a social media ban on children and youth, warning that excessive screen time poses significant risks to their health and well-being, a new report by Doctors Manitoba says.

The eight-page report released this month explores physicians’ perspectives on restrictions to social media and artificial intelligence, as well as related policy options in response to the province’s proposal of an age-based ban last month.

Doctors Manitoba polled physicians in a voluntary survey conducted between April 30 and May 15.

“As physicians, we increasingly see the impact of excessive social media and screen time on mental health, sleep and healthy development in children and youth,” said Dr. Alon Altman, who started his one-year term as Doctors Manitoba president earlier this month.

The non-profit organization with nearly 5,000 members received responses from more than 240 doctors, including family physicians, pediatricians, psychiatrists and other specialists.

The survey found that 90 per cent of doctors polled support banning social media and AI chatbots for children and youth. More than two-thirds agreed the ban should include ages 16 and younger, with some believing the ban should also include 17-year-olds.

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew announced the province plans to ban children and youth under 16 from using social media accounts and AI chatbots, arguing that access to this technology contributes to anxiety and depression.

Kinew has previously said enforcement of the ban will target tech companies rather than youth or their parents and that he didn’t have a timeline for when the legislation would be introduced.

The Brandon Sun reached out to Kinew on Monday but didn’t receive a response.

Manitoba’s education minister, Tracy Schmidt, has said the province is considering schools as the first place to implement restrictions, comparing the approach to the 2024 cellphone ban in classrooms.

Altman said regulation in the legislature is the first step in addressing children and youth who are addicted to social media.

“At the end of the day, our goal is quite simple — to ensure young people can grow up safely, healthy and supported in a modern digital world,” he said during a news conference in Winnipeg on Monday.

In the report, doctors were asked to rank the top risks affecting the health and well-being of children and youth.

Social media and excessive screen time were ranked third above other concerns such as substance use, physical inactivity, inadequate nutrition and sleep, and injuries.

Adverse childhood experiences such as trauma, neglect or violence and socioeconomic stressors such as poverty, housing or food insecurity were ranked the highest.

Psychiatrists, pediatricians and family doctors have raised concerns about the impacts social media has on children and youth, Altman said.

“They’re seeing big effects on mental health, like depression and anxiety. They’re seeing changes in social interactions with children, and they’re seeing decrease in physical activity,” he said.

“There’s growing evidence about these impacts, and many jurisdictions around the world are considering restrictions on social media to protect children’s health and well-being.”

Dr. William Li, a Winnipeg pediatrician, said he supports the social media ban for children and youth and has seen the direct impact it has on development and mental health.

“It is associated with addictions, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, but even for the younger kiddos, it is associated with slower language development and learning difficulties in the future,” said Li, who’s also the Health Sciences Centre representative for Doctors Manitoba.

The Canadian Pediatric Society recommends that kids aged five and older have no more than two hours of screen time per day, which includes social media, Li said.

He encourages parents to speak with their children about the harmful effects of social media, to review what platforms their kids are using and develop a family plan on social media use.

Parents can also mirror healthy screen time for their kids and set limits for their children by allowing no technology an hour before bed, avoiding screen use during meals and suggesting non-digital means of entertainment like reading a book or going for a walk.

The Manitoba Pediatric Society fully supports the proposed ban, its president, Dr. Meghan Cranston, said in a news release on Monday.

“As pediatricians, we see the direct impact that social media access has on development and mental health. We owe it to our kids to protect them from the online safety risks of social media,” she said.

While an age-based ban is a preferred policy option, doctors also see the possibility of removing addictive elements such as infinite scroll, stronger content moderation, restricting advertising for minors and a greater emphasis on digital literacy education.

Altman said education on social media and chatbot use needs to come from both parents and the education system.

“As a parent, I would love to have more formal education for my children on this. I would like to get more education on how to help them with this as well,” he said.

The survey also showed 7.5 per cent of doctors opposed the ban due to skepticism about Manitoba’s ability to ban international digital apps. Other concerns involved whether a ban could face legal, ethical or privacy hurdles and the belief that a ban isn’t enough to reduce harm and prepare youth for future access.

Some doctors noted that social networks can reduce feelings of isolation and foster peer connections for youth when risks are removed, the report said.

When asked whether a ban could backfire by isolating youth from each other, Altman emphasized that social media causes isolation and has negative impacts on the mental health of children and youth.

» tadamski@brandonsun.com