Screen Time, Social Media & Mental Health

Social media apps are built to keep you scrolling, tapping, and coming back. The Public Health Agency of Canada reports that only 57% of Canadian youth aged 12 to 17 stay within the recommended limit of no more than 2 hours per day of recreational screen time set out in the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines, and most of that time is now spent on social media and short-video apps. [1] [2]

That matters because Canadian research directly links heavy social media and screen use to worse mental health for teens. Youth who stay within the guideline are more likely to report excellent mental health, high happiness, and high life satisfaction, and less likely to feel stressed, anxious, or depressed. Female youth who met the guideline were significantly less likely to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. [1]

Doctors and researchers at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and the Canadian Paediatric Society describe how social media uses infinite scroll, autoplay, notifications, "likes," and personalised algorithms to trigger small dopamine rewards. Over time, that pattern looks a lot like a behavioural addiction: you do not want to be on the app, but you cannot stop opening it. [3] [4]

Bill C-34 was introduced by Canadian Heritage on June 10, 2026. It creates two new federal laws, the Digital Safety Act and the Digital Safety Commission of Canada Act, and sets rules that social media platforms and AI chatbot services must follow when their users are children. Here are the key parts young Canadians should know. [5] [6]

4. Removing harmful content

Platforms have a Duty to make certain content inaccessible. They must quickly take down content that victimises a child or shares images of them without consent. This connects directly to the danger of our online preditors article. [5] [6]

5. Transparency and acting responsibly

Platforms also have a Duty to Act Responsibly. They must take steps to reduce how often users are exposed to harmful content (such as content promoting self-harm, eating disorders, or extreme violence) and must publish public transparency reports so Canadians can actually see what they are doing. [5] [6]

6. Real penalties and a new Digital Safety Commission

Companies that break the rules can be fined up to $10 million or 3% of their global revenue, whichever is higher. A new federal Digital Safety Commission of Canada will enforce the law, respond to complaints from Canadians, and require platforms to fix what is broken. [5] [6]

Bill C-34 will not be fully in force for a year or two, so the most important protections still come from your own habits. The Government of Canada, Canadian Paediatric Society, and CAMH recommend these steps for young people: [1] [3] [11]

• Aim for the Canadian guideline: no more than 2 hours per day of recreational screen time, not counting school work. If you are nowhere near that, cut back in steps (an hour less per day for a week) instead of all at once. [1] [11]

• Protect your sleep. Keep phones out of the bedroom at night, or at least turn on Do Not Disturb. Most Canadian teens who feel tired all the time are losing sleep to a screen, not to homework. [1] [11]

• Turn off the addictive features yourself. Even before Bill C-34 forces platforms to do this, most apps let you turn off autoplay, mute notifications, hide like counts, set daily screen-time limits, and switch the "for you" feed to a chronological friends-only feed. Use them. [9] [13]

• Be skeptical of AI chatbots that act like friends. Bill C-34 specifically targets chatbots that try to create emotional attachment. An AI chatbot is not a counsellor, not a doctor, and not a real friend. It can be useful for homework help, but it should never replace a person when you are struggling. [5] [6]

• Clean up your feed. Unfollow accounts that leave you feeling worse about yourself. Mute hashtags and words that trigger anxiety, body-image worries, or hopelessness. The algorithm will learn from what you skip. [3] [11]

• Watch your money in games and apps too. Never save a credit card on a console, game, or app store. Talk with a parent before any purchase, because loot boxes and in-game purchases are designed to feel like gambling. [7] [8]

• Report harmful content. Use the in-app report button on TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Discord, and X for content that pushes self-harm, hate, or scams. Once Bill C-34 is in force, you will also be able to report directly to the Digital Safety Commission of Canada. [5] [6]

• Tell a trusted adult if you feel out of control. Talk to a parent, guardian, teacher, coach, or school counsellor. You can also call Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868 or text 686868. It is free, anonymous, and available 24/7. If you ever feel unsafe or like you want to hurt yourself, call or text 9-8-8. [12]