Fort St. John mother starts petition calling for new law to protect children using social media

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — A Fort St. John local has started a mental health movement and petition calling for a new law to tackle the negative impact of social media on a child’s wellbeing. 

The Taking Our Kids Back – Canada movement was started by Diana Bent, a resident of Fort St. John, to bring awareness to the mental health impacts social media have on children and youth. 

Bent told Energeticcity.ca it seemed to her that kids’ mental health has changed drastically over the past few years and more young people suffer with depression, anxiety and self-esteem issues. 

She told Energeticcity.ca: “We wanted to just do this movement to get a federal law passed to protect kids online.

“We’re not anti-technology, but we’re more pro-child.” 

Bent understands parents are not expected to compete with billion-dollar social media companies as their platforms are designed to be addictive. Through this movement, Bent wants more protection for kids. 

She shared: “We don’t want to punish any parents but we want to hold the social media companies accountable, [to have a] better age authentication process.” 

Bent has started a petition to request the federal government pass a ‘youth digital protection’ law and as of January 23rd, the petition has received 337 signatures. 

The petition asks for strict guidelines and protective measures to limit young people’s exposure to harmful content and curb the addictive nature of digital platforms. 

For Bent, this movement is personal as she has three teenagers. 

“Social media has affected them all differently,” she said. “One kid is completely fine, my other kid would try and steal another phone to use it.” 

Bent shared it affected their sleep and mental health when her kids were not getting the dopamine hits social media ‘likes’ gave. 

She shared: “It affects them all differently but at the end of the day, I don’t think any of them are mature enough to have it.” 

She found it scary to see what her kids receive.  

“I can control it on my kids’ end but I can’t control what the other kids are sending my kids,” she said. 

The movement will “help them because they won’t be exposed to such bad content,” she said. 

“They won’t have as much anxiety or depression or bullying.” 

Bent has received mixed responses for the petition and the initiative. 

“I would say 80 per cent positive and 20 per cent negative,” she shared. “I think the 20 per cent [would be] people that don’t have children or haven’t been dealing with this issue or are close-minded about it.” 

On the other hand, many people have expressed “this needed to happen a long time ago,” she said. 

She said: “Everybody’s also recognized the mental health problems it’s caused kids, [giving them] anxiety and depression and [being subjected to] bullying.”

Bent wants parents to know they are not alone and she wants supportive parents to follow the petition and join the conversation. 

To sign Bent’s petition, click here.