SickKids Child Health Policy Accelerator welcomes the introduction of the Safe Social Media Act

The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) Child Health Policy Accelerator is pleased to see the Government of Canada strengthening protections for children and youth online. The legislation introduced today signals meaningful progress toward a comprehensive, credible, and child‑focused approach to online safety.  

In an increasingly digital world, children and youth are spending significant amounts of time on online platforms with few guardrails to support their safety, health, and development.  Paediatricians and families are witnessing the consequences, with rising rates of anxiety, depression, self-harm, and disordered eating linked not only to harmful content but to platform features deliberately engineered to maximize engagement. These harms are no longer theoretical; clinicians at SickKids and other paediatric health-care providers are seeing and treating them across paediatric care settings, as young people navigate a largely unregulated digital environment during critical periods of development. 

Canadians are clear in their expectation for action. There is broad and sustained public concern about the impacts of digital platforms on children’s mental health, safety, and development, along with strong support for holding digital platforms accountable.  

“This is a whole‑of‑society problem, and it requires a whole‑of‑society solution,” said Dr. Charlotte Moore Hepburn, Medical Director of the SickKids Child Health Policy Accelerator and staff paediatrician at SickKids. “Children and youth are experiencing real harms in digital environments that were not designed with their safety in mind. Thoughtful, evidence‑informed regulation is an essential part of the response.” 

The introduction of this legislation is a critical and welcome step forward. SickKids Child Health Policy Accelerator looks forward to working with parliamentarians, partners, and stakeholders to support the implementation of online safety legislation to ensure that reflects the needs and best interests of children and youth across Canada. Continued focus will be needed to ensure it is comprehensive, enforceable, and responsive to emerging risks. The health and development of a generation of children and youth depend on getting this right. 

Quick Facts 

• 91% of 15–24-year-olds use social media (StatsCan, 2023). A separate survey found that in the previous month, seven in ten 7–17-year-olds and half of 7–11-year-olds used social media (MTM, 2023) 
• One in five teens have experienced bullying or harassment online (MTM, 2023), and 47% of 15-19-year-olds report negative experiences from social media use (StatsCan, 2021). 
• Anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation increase with more frequent use of online platforms (StatsCan, 2023; MHRC, 2025) 
• 74% of youth reported seeing online content that may incite hate or violence, compared with 51% of the overall population (StatsCan, 2025) 
• 94% of Canadians are concerned about negative mental health impacts on children from social media. (Social Media Ban Teenagers Canada: What You Need to Know - Angus Reid Institute)