Is social media negatively affecting kids and teens? Ask us your questions | Canada Voices

• The Q&A is taking place on Monday at 11 a.m. in the comment section of this article. Click here to head there and leave a question.
• You can also submit a question for our reporters by sending an e-mail to [email protected], or fill out the submission box at the bottom of this article.
• To see the answers to your questions, be sure to bookmark this page and return on Monday to read our responses.

In December, Australia became the first country in the world to ban social media for children under 16, blocking access to TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, X, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and Twitch.

The Australian government first proposed the landmark law citing research that showed the connection between social media and online harms, such as bullying, misinformation and unhealthy depictions of body image. Politicians in Canada have also considered implementing a similar ban.

As young Canadians become more dependent on the digital world, parents are stuck trying to figure out how to navigate this new reality.

On March 23 at 11 a.m., online culture reporter Samantha Edwards and contributing parenting columnist Katherine Martinko will be answering reader questions about social media and its effects on youth, how countries have been mulling over a potential ban, and how parents should approach social media for their kids.

How has the social media ban been going for Australia? How do Canadian teens feel about a similar approach here? How can you get information about appropriate social media sites for your kids? Submit your questions now.