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PAM FRAMPTON: Should kids be banned from social media?

Bill C-34 would prohibit social media users under 16 and make tech companies more accountable

I’ve heard some cogent arguments lately for why a social media ban for children under 16 is a bad idea.

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Some opponents of an outright ban have said kids should, instead, be educated on how to use social media wisely.

Others have said a ban simply won’t work, that kids will find ways to stay online (the same arguments could be said about the legal drinking age, and yet we still think that’s worthwhile.)

Still others point out that it would prevent children from escaping social isolation.

Writing in USA Today last week, for example, columnist Sara Pequeño wrote eloquently of her own struggle as a gay teen growing up in rural America, and the role that social media played in helping her find community.

“For teenagers in rural areas, sometimes their only connection to communities that look like them is the community that exists online,” Pequeño wrote. “I know that’s certainly true for the LGBTQ community. For many of us who grew up on social media, our online communities........

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