New report ranks online harms as top threat facing Canadian children

A new report says online harms are now the top health threat facing Canadian children.

It is the first time online harms have been in the top 10 list of threats, ranking ahead of bullying, poverty and child abuse.

Hamilton Mountain MP Lisa Hepfner held a roundtable discussion Wednesday to break down how the federal government hopes to help with its so-called new Safe and Social Media Act.

A new report by Children First Canada says online threats are now permeating the lives of every kid in Canada, from birth all the way through adolescence.

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“I am a parent and I’ve raised my kids in the digital generation, and I’ve never been more frightened about the generation that we’re raising kids in,” said Mohit Rajhans, a tech and media expert with ThinkStart. “I think it’s very important for parents to understand now that the phone, the tool, the app — it’s no longer just a game, it’s an entire ecosystem that’s being studied, data that’s being collected and your kids are being targeted.”

The report says kids are coming into contact with AI toys and algorithmic-driven content before they even learn to read.

It cites multiple risks related to the online environment, including cyberbullying, child luring, sexual extortion, AI-facilitated abuse and mental health impacts.

“We’re heading into a world right now where we can’t just talk about this as one thing,” said Rajhans. “Each level of child is experiencing a different form of digital technology in their lives, and we have to be able to have these conversations at different levels.”

The Hamilton Mountain MP held a roundtable talk Wednesday with community organizations, health care professionals and students to discuss Bill C-34, the Safe and Social Media Act.

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“The whole point of this legislation is to protect children,” said Hepfner. “So we heard from a couple of medical doctors here at our roundtable today about the harms they’re seeing among children, and the point of this legislation is to put the onus on the platforms, rather than the parents, to make their products safe for kids.”

Simran Ram, a 21-year-old McMaster University student took part in the roundtable, and said she and her friends are trying to get away from social media use, but it’s ingrained in just about every aspect of their lives.

“You need a phone to scan QR codes, phones to make group chats with your classmates and a bunch of things, so having phones is pretty much mandatory these days for everyone of all ages,” said Ram. “So being able to instate safety measures for such is very important.”

The report argues Canada has regulations and safety standards in place for other children’s products, including food, medicine, pajamas and toys, and that tech companies should not enjoy an exception.

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