Achi news desk-
The Legault government has not ruled out legislation on the use of screens by young people and families, Social Services Minister Lionel Clement suggested in a speech in Montreal on Monday morning.
Speaking at the International Symposium on Screen Use and Health, Clement announced that the government will soon begin work on Quebec’s second strategy on screen use and the health of young people.
“We want a version that is very adapted to the reality of Quebec,” said Clement. “And I will tell you now, nothing is off the table. If we have to legislate, we will legislate.”
He did not provide further details about possible legislation but emphasized that “it’s all a question of the right balance between raising awareness and developing the digital skills of young people.”
In 2020, 59 percent of Quebec youth between 13 and 17 used the Internet more than 10 hours a week, compared to 27 percent of six to 12-year-olds.
According to data from the Enquête québécoise sur le tabac, l’alcool, la drogue et le jeu chez les élèves du secondaire (Quebec survey on tobacco, alcohol, drugs and gambling among secondary school students), 18 percent of them often or very often often find it difficult to stop when surfing the Internet. The survey also found that 10 percent of young people reported that they often or very often tried to spend less time online without success.
The data also showed that 45.5 percent of high school students would exceed the recommendation associated with their age group when it comes to screen use in their free time. This applies to both passive use (watching series, movies or videos) and active or interactive use (video games, chatting or surfing the Internet).
“We absolutely have to support our young people in their use of these technologies so that they can understand the risks and use them appropriately. That’s an important part of what I see as our role as a government … to make them think about their use of screens,” said Clement.
He emphasized the improvement of mental health data “for both young and old”.
The minister noted that recent studies show that social media networks change the way people perceive themselves and that this worsens anxiety and mental problems in general, “not to mention the sleep complications of our young people who use social media well. After bedtime,” he added.
The Legault government has already dealt with the problems posed by the screens in schools. As of this year, Quebec became the second province after Ontario to ban cell phones in the classroom. “I think it was the right solution, but there are a lot of other decisions that need to be made pretty quickly,” said Clement.
In the Stratégie québécoise sur l’utilisation des écrans et la santé des jeunes 2022-2025, the emphasis was mainly on raising awareness. There it is said that children under the age of two should never be exposed to screens and that after this age screen use should be limited to one hour a day until school starts.
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The Canadian Press’ health content is funded through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. The Canadian Press is solely responsible for editorial choices.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on April 8, 2024.
