Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise today, along with my colleague in the Liberal Party, to present a petition representing the voices of many parents across the country who are concerned about social media use and smart phone use by children, especially those much younger than 18 years old.
These parents have recognized that smart phones have become a direct gateway to harmful content for children. They are addictive. Algorithm-driven social media platforms are designed solely to increase engagement and push some harmful content at children. Parents face significant challenges in controlling their children's own use of smart phones and their activities online.
These parents are asking the government to raise the minimum age for social media and to secure privacy rights for youth under 18 so that social media companies cannot use any data collected from children under the age of 18.