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Experts available on potential Canadian youth social media ban

Implications of a social media ban for youth under 16 in Canada

 April 16, 2026

 April 16, 2026

The federal government is considering introducing a social media ban for kids under 16. The following experts are available to media for comment on the potential ban and its implications.

Emma Duerden
Associate Professor, Education

  • Screen time and mental health
  • Cognition and behaviour
  • Social media and child development

Christopher Dietzel
Postdoctoral fellow, Sociology

  • Benefits, risks, and possibilities associated with everyday digital platform
  •  Digital safety among youth
  • Tech-facilitated sexual violence

Kaitlynn Mendes
Professor, Sociology

  • Social media and online harms
  • Tech-facilitated sexual violence
  • Youth online violence

Luke Stark
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Information and Media Studies

  • Historical, social, and ethical impacts of social media platforms and artificial intelligence technologies
  • Technologies meditating social and emotional expression

MEDIA CONTACT: Cynthia Fazio, Media Relations Officer, Western University, (226) 376-4924, cynthia.fazio@uwo.ca

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