Setting a Social Media Minimum Age: Evidence from Australia, Lessons for Canada

Explore what early evidence from the evaluation of Australia’s landmark social media age restriction can teach us about making digital platforms safe, youth well-being, and Canada's online harms regulation.

This event will feature Professor Jeff Hancock from Stanford University’s Social Media Lab, whose team is leading the evaluation of Australia's social media age restriction legislation. Professor Hancock will share early findings and lessons from the evaluation, as Canada considers its own approach to social media regulation.

The lecture will be followed by a moderated panel to explore the evolving evidence on social media use among children and youth, lived experiences of how young people navigate platforms, and what these insights mean for Canada’s Safe Social Media Act (Bill C-34).

This event will bring together researchers, clinicians, policymakers, youth and community partners for an opportunity to learn, ask questions and contribute to an important conversation about digital engagement, child and youth well-being, and the future of social media policy in Canada.