The Globe and Mail reports in its Monday, April 27, edition that Manitoba aims to be the first province to ban youth from accessing social media and AI chatbots, as Ottawa mulls similar action.
The Globe's Joe Castaldo and Ian Bailey write that Premier Wab Kinew says social media contributes to anxiety and depression among young people, and that tech platforms are "doing very, very awful things" to children.
"Social media and now AI chatbots are being used to hack our children's attention spans. Now, this is not by accident, this is intentional," he said on Saturday night, promising to bring in a ban. "These platforms are not neutral. They have been built this way to maximize engagement and to make money for a group of tech oligarchs who do not share our values."
Mr. Kinew did not provide further details, including which ages would be subject to a ban, how measures would be enforced or a timeline for proposed legislation.
In recent years, parents, educators and academics have warned of the dangers of social-media use, including that these platforms can exacerbate anxiety, depression and loneliness among youth. Cyberbullying and exposure to inappropriate content are also major concerns.
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