How parents and teens actually feel about a social media ban episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 22, 2026 · 24 MIN

How parents and teens actually feel about a social media ban

from The Big Story · host Maria Kestane, Jenny Perez, Mya Callaghan

Canada has taken inspiration from its fellow commonwealth cousin, Australia, and has moved to ban social media for anyone under 16. A part of Bill C-34, the Safe Social Media Act requires social media platforms to ensure kids are staying safe online, or else they get banned. But what 'safe' looks like exactly hasn't been clearly outlined by Ottawa yet. The act also aims at protecting children from AI chatbots. Academics and experts in the safe have spoken both for and against the act, but how do the actual stakeholders feel about it? Host Maria Kestane speaks to Jenny Perez, founder of Unplugged, as well as Mya Callaghan, a 13 year old from Alberta to get a pulse check on how parents and teenagers are feeling about the legislation, and how the next few months could unfold. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

Canada has taken inspiration from its fellow commonwealth cousin, Australia, and has moved to ban social media for anyone under 16. A part of Bill C-34, the Safe Social Media Act requires social media platforms to ensure kids are staying safe online, or else they get banned. But what 'safe' looks like exactly hasn't been clearly outlined by Ottawa yet. The act also aims at protecting children from AI chatbots. Academics and experts in the safe have spoken both for and against the act, but how do the actual stakeholders feel about it? Host Maria Kestane speaks to Jenny Perez, founder of Unplugged, as well as Mya Callaghan, a 13 year old from Alberta to get a pulse check on how parents and teenagers are feeling about the legislation, and how the next few months could unfold.

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How parents and teens actually feel about a social media ban

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This episode was published on June 22, 2026.

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Canada has taken inspiration from its fellow commonwealth cousin, Australia, and has moved to ban social media for anyone under 16. A part of Bill C-34, the Safe Social Media Act requires social media platforms to ensure kids are staying safe...

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