What to know<\/p>\n
Ontario\u2019s Education Minister Paul Calandra says the province is considering banning phones on school grounds.<\/p>\n
The comments come after Manitoba announced its ban on social media use in classrooms.<\/p>\n
One expert says the use of devices and social media in schools limits social interaction, and banning them could lead to further conversations and impact.<\/p>\n
Ontario\u2019s Education Minister Paul Calandra says the province is considering banning phones altogether on school grounds, and one expert is welcoming the potential move.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Calandra revealed the province\u2019s plans during a news conference on Tuesday, after he was asked whether Ontario would consider banning social media in schools.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the evidence is becoming more and more clear that cell phone use in our elementary and secondary schools, anywhere on site, has become a problem,\u201d he told reporters.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are considering an alt-right ban on cell phones on school properties, across the province of Ontario. Obviously, for health reasons, we\u2019ll allow some exemptions to that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Over the weekend, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew revealed that the province had plans to ban access to social media and AI chatbots in classrooms, according to media reports.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, Culture Minister Marc Miller told reporters that the federal government is also seriously considering a social media ban for children in the country.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The comments came after the Liberal party voted to pass a non-binding resolution to restrict Canadians under 16 from using social media accounts. The vote makes the resolution a party policy, but doesn\u2019t translate directly into a ban just yet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Calandra also said Ontario is \u201cworking closely with the federal government\u201d in terms of setting a social media ban for children under a certain age, saying most education ministers and some educators in the country agree that the accounts are \u201cnot healthy for kids in schools to have access.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
According to him, the province is also looking into Manitoba\u2019s ban, but might take it a step further.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re reviewing what Manitoba has done. I think it\u2019s a good opportunity for us in Ontario, but doesn\u2019t go necessarily as far as we would like it to go, but it\u2019s a good step,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Last year, Australia became the first country to ban kids under 16 from using major social media, including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X, Threads, and YouTube. The ban sparked discussions over youth\u2019s social media use worldwide, including in Canada.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Following the trend, Brazil has also passed a bill restricting cell phone use in elementary and high schools starting in February, limiting their use to cases of emergency, disabilities, or educational activities.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Expert weighs in\u00a0<\/p>\n