Topic: 2025 – Protecting and Empowering Youth in Digital Spaces
Country: Canada
Delegate Name: Disha Sriram
Topic: Protecting and Empowering Youth in Digital Spaces
Country: Canada
Delegate Name: Disha Sriram
School: Forest Hills Central High School
Committee: ECOSOC- Human Rights Council
In a world where technology is becoming more widely available to all people, the accessibility of technology especially increases with the youth, as about 79% of people ages 15-24 use the internet, and the internet, as it has proven to be, can be both beneficial and destructive to a user, especially kids. On highly used applications like TikTok or Snapchat, the chance of a negative interaction between youth increases exponentially. For example, on Snapchat, about 69% of young users are susceptible to cyberbullying, with TikTok following closely behind at 64%. Young people who interact with social media and have experienced cyberbullying were found to be 4 times more likely to have suicidal thoughts than those who have not. Cyberbullying is extremely detrimental to adolescents’ mental health.
In the current time, Canada has taken measures to take action against cyberbullying under a law passed within the country. Cyberbullying goes under the Criminal Code of Canadian law. It has clearly outlined what cyberbullying entails, such as sharing intimate images without consent, intimidation, mischief in relation to data, unauthorized use of a computer, counselling suicide, incitement of hatred, and more. Along with that, resources provided by the Canadian government outline what each of these subunits of cyberbullying means, making it clear what is legal and what is not. If someone were to be charged with cyberbullying, they would potentially have their devices taken away, along with paying a fine to the victim, and even facing jail time. Canada has set up online resources to contact if ever there is a situation of cyberbullying, along with outlines of information on cyberbullying per age group, which includes what cyberbullying means, where it happens, how it can affect an individual, and what action can be taken to prevent it/stop it. It also includes resources for parents to ensure that their child is protected with a framework for action that an adult can take for their child. The Canadian government takes the issue of cyberbullying very seriously, with penalties implemented for those who participate in it.
Some ideas for resolutions that Canada would propose would entail increasing teacher training programs in order to further implement the idea of good online practices to the youth in a non-aggressive way, so kids don’t feel targeted by any messages sent by teachers, but they can be informed of the penalties of cyberbullying and further learn ways to be a better person online. This could be sent as a request to UNESCO to further implement a better curriculum on cyberbullying for the youth in a productive manner. Secondly, making a call for funding for the creation of better hotlines for countries that do not currently have the funds to create hotlines for help with cyberbullying. Finally, encouraging the promotion of diversity and inclusion within society by promoting on social media by the government on commonly used online platforms like Instagram. Canada recognizes the importance of creating a safe environment for the youth on online platforms, and with the help of other delegations, we can make tomorrow a safer place for our youth.
