The Decibel To ban or not to ban: Canadian teens weigh in on social media
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Mar 27, 2026 Canadian teens discuss how platforms like Roblox, Discord and short-form video shape friendships, identity and online communities. They talk about cyberbullying, misinformation and mental-health concerns tied to platform design. The group debates proposed age-based bans and suggests fixes like better reporting and moderation instead of simple prohibitions.
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Roblox Often Precedes Instagram For Young Teens
- Hargan (14, Oakville) and Noor (17, Charlottetown) both began on Roblox in grade four and moved to Instagram/Snapchat by grade six or seven.
- Their stories illustrate how kid-friendly platforms precede mainstream social accounts for many youth.
Game Platforms Are Now Social Hubs
- Platforms like Roblox and Discord blur the line between games and social media and host varied communities.
- Discord moved from gaming chats to study groups, protests, and niche communities, increasing exposure to strangers.
Mental Health Harms Are Immediate And Concrete
- Teens report clear harms: self-image damage, doomscrolling, and cyberbullying concretely affect mental health.
- Examples include rude comments that 'hurt for a couple of seconds' and sustained comparisons from filtered images.