Every Saskatchewan home is set to get a postcard from Premier Scott Moe asking for a response to determine how the province moves forward on possible social media limits or even a full ban.
Moe announced the planned mailout on Tuesday, saying it’s being used to develop the province’s position when it speaks with the federal government about its own plans for social media.
“Your input is important and we most certainly are asking for it,” Moe said during a news conference Tuesday. “It’s not as simple to say we’re going to ban social media.”
The survey postcard will ask residents a few questions, including what age restrictions would make sense for a ban. Residents can then return the responses to the government for it to compile and determine a provincial “position” on the issue.
Moe told reporters that, though he’s seen action by governments on social media in the past, he believes it would be better for the country to move forward together as opposed to a patchwork of provincial limits.
“We want to know about how parents and families feel about possible limits on social media,” Mental Health and Addictions Minister Lori Carr said.
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The public consultation by the Saskatchewan government differs from the stances other provinces have said they’re considering, with Manitoba recently announcing plans for a provincial youth ban.
Legislation is coming to ban social media for kids 16 and under, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said, though he has not said if it will be introduced before the legislature heads on summer break. Companies could be fined billions of dollars if they don’t enforce the potential ban, according to Kinew.
Kinew told reporters last week that platforms are doing “very, very awful things” to children, adding that they’re designed to get people “addicted to the infinite scroll.”
The federal Liberal Party voted at a recent policy convention to set 16 as the age for Canadians to be able to use social media accounts. While the party resolution is non-binding, the federal government has said it’s “very seriously” considering introducing a social media ban, but that a committee studying online harms would examine the issue.
Ontario has also signalled it is considering a potential ban.
Social media has had an impact on youth, Moe acknowledged, including on mental health, body image and cyberbullying. But he also acknowledged that young people use it to connect and express themselves, which is why he wants public input on whether limits or a full ban should be put in place, or if there should be flexibility for parents to decide.
The total response rate will be shared, Moe said, and the hope is that it will see a response from the majority of Saskatchewan residents. The surveys need to be returned by June 30, 2026.
Moe acknowledged recent polling by Angus Reid that indicated 75 per cent of more than 4,000 Canadians surveyed were in favour of a ban similar to the one implemented in Australia. The country was the first to prevent youth under 16 from setting up accounts on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and Threads.
But in laying out his plans, the premier stressed he’d like to see social media issues tackled on a national level, supported by provincial and territorial moves. He said the province would also provide the federal government with the input of the people of Saskatchewan.
“We think it’d be much more effective to have this conversation nationwide,” he added.
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