March 2026 Board of Health Meeting - Advocating for Enhanced Controls Around Social Media Use for Children and Youth Resolution

BACKGROUND

Social media is defined in the Ministry of Educations Policy/Program Memorandum No. 128 (PPM 128) as online platforms that allow users to create and share content or participate in social networking, such as TikTok, Snapchat, Discord, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter)⁹. Social media is widely used by children and youth for communication, entertainment, and identity development, offering benefits such as connecting with peers and accessing information. However, research shows that frequent or excessive use can be linked to negative mental and physical health effects, including anxiety, depression, psychological distress, low self‑esteem, body‑image concerns, and sleep disturbances ¹²⁴. Sleep disruption is especially harmful, contributing to emotional dysregulation, mood disorders, academic challenges, and reduced well-being¹.  Children and youth, especially those between 13 and 17 years of age use social media at extremely high rates and are particularly vulnerable because their brains are still developing. Because of the combination of ongoing brain development and heavy platform engagement, young people are especially susceptible to design features such as algorithm driven feeds, endless scrolling, autoplay, and social metrics, that reinforce excessive use and increase exposure to cyberbullying, appearance pressures, hate speech, and misinformation ¹²³⁴⁷⁸.

The Ontario Public Health Standards (OPHS) require Boards of Health to identify emerging health risks and promote supportive environments. Social media related harms represent an emerging risk that affects healthy child and youth development. Addressing these harms aligns with the WECHU’s 2026–2030 Strategic Plan, which prioritizes prevention, early action, health equity, and coordinated community efforts.

National organizations, including the Canadian Paediatric Society and MediaSmarts™, report that youth regularly encounter harmful online content and that current platform safety measures are inadequate. Evidence suggests digital literacy alone is insufficient without stronger policy safeguards and accountability requirements³⁷.

Windsor and Essex County data from the 2023 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey (OSDUHS) shows high levels of daily social media engagement among students in Grades 7–12: over ninety percent use social media for at least two hours daily, and nearly one-quarter use it for five or more hours. Many report unsuccessful attempts to cut back, preoccupation with social media, or conflict arising from their use. Girls report higher average use than boys. Excessive social media use may displace healthy behaviours, and locally only thirty-two percent of youth meet physical activity guidelines while sixty-two percent do not get adequate sleep, patterns frequently linked to heavy or late‑night use⁵.

Governments internationally are advancing online safety legislation, with several countries implementing minimum age requirements, age‑verification systems, or child‑specific design protections. In Canada, the former Bill C‑63 (Online Harms Act)⁶ signaled federal commitment to reducing exposure to harmful content, though more decisive action is needed. In Ontario, PPM 128 outlines expectations for addressing inappropriate technology use in schools and strengthened implementation can help reduce cyberbullying and promote safer digital environments⁹.

Public health has a key role in advocating for environments that support healthy development. This includes promoting balanced, developmentally appropriate social media use; supporting parents and caregivers with practical guidance;³⁸ encouraging healthcare providers to discuss social media during routine visits; and advancing policy measures such as age‑appropriate design standards and minimum age protections³⁶. Coordinated public health advocacy is needed to ensure safer digital environments for children and youth.

PROPOSED MOTION

Whereas, the Ontario Public Health Standards (OPHS) call for identifying emerging health risks, reducing inequities and creating supportive environments; and 

Whereas, social media use is widespread among children and youth with growing evidence linking frequent and problematic use to anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, sleep disruption, cyberbullying, and emotional dysregulation;^1,2 and

Whereas, social media platforms are deeply embedded in young people’s communication, yet excessive or uncontrolled use can negatively affect their mental, emotional, and physical health; and

Whereas, children and youth are in a critical period of brain development, making them particularly vulnerable to digital environments designed to maximize engagement which may exploit developmental vulnerabilities, including emerging impulse control and heightened reward sensitivity.

Now therefore be it resolved that, the Windsor‑Essex County Board of Health calls on the federal and provincial government toimplement policies and regulatory measures that promote healthy social media use, prevent exposure to harmful content, and prioritize the well‑being of children and youth, including advancing Bill C-63 (Online Harms Act) to strengthen timely protections; and

Further that, the Windsor‑Essex County Board of Health encourages the province of Ontario to establish evidence‑based policies including minimum age limits on social media use, mandating age‑appropriate design standards, strengthening age-verification systems, and increasing platform accountability; and

Further that, the Windsor‑Essex County Board of Health recommend that local health care providers integrate discussions about social media use into routine visits with children and youth, including screening for problematic use, sleep disruption, and mental health impacts, and offering evidence‑informed guidance.

References

1. Ahmed, O., Walsh, E. I., Dawel, A., Alateeq, K., Espinoza Oyarce, D. A., & Cherbuin, N. (2024). Social media use, mental health and sleep: A systematic review with meta-analyses. Journal of Affective Disorders, 367. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39242043/
2. Shannon, H., Bush, K., Villeneuve, P. J., Hellemans, K. G., & Guimond, S. (2022). Problematic social media use in adolescents and young adults: Systematic review and meta-analysis. JMIR Mental Health, 9(4), e33450. https://mental.jmir.org/2022/4/e33450
3. Canadian Paediatric Society. (2023). Centre for healthy screen use: Social media and youth: A call to action. Ottawa, ON: Author. https://cps.ca/en/documents/position/social-media-and-youth-a-call-to-action
4. Abi-Jaoude, E., Naylor, K. T., & Pignatiello, A. (2020). Smartphones, social media use and youth mental health. CMAJ, 192(6), E136–E141. https://www.cmaj.ca/content/192/6/E136
5. Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. (2023). Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey (OSDUHS) 2023. Toronto, ON: Author.
6. Government of Canada. (2024). Bill C-63: Online Harms Act. Ottawa, ON: Department of Justice Canada. https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/csj-sjc/pl/charter-charte/c63.html
7. MediaSmarts. (2023). Reporting platforms: Young Canadians evaluate efforts to counter disinformation. Ottawa, ON: Author. https://mediasmarts.ca/research-reports/reporting-platforms-young-canadians-evaluate-efforts-counter-disinformation
8. Canadian Paediatric Society. Social media: What parents should know. Caring for Kids. Ottawa, ON: Author. https://caringforkids.cps.ca/handouts/behavior-and-development/social_media
9.  Ontario Ministry of Education. (2021, May 10). Policy/program memorandum 128: The Provincial Code of Conduct and school board codes of conduct [Website]. https://www.ontario.ca/document/education-ontario-policy-and-program-direction/policyprogram-memorandum-128