MONTREAL — An all-party Quebec government commission is recommending the province regulate online influencers, ban micropayments in video games and restrict social media access for anyone under the age of 14 in a bid to curb “adverse effects on children’s health and development” that come with increased screen time.

The recommendations form part of a 155-page report from a cross-party committee at Quebec’s National Assembly. In total, it makes 56 recommendations, including the regulation of esports in schools and keeping gyms and parks open into the night to give kids an alternative to screens after school, as well as recommending that parents keep screens out of their children’s bedrooms.

The report, authored by the Commission spéciale sur les impacts des écrans et des réseaux sociaux sur la santé et le développement des jeunes, further recommends that colleges and universities integrate ethical content for video game developers to “raise awareness of the impact of certain mechanisms that can be harmful to young people.”

The issue of screen time is front of mind in Quebec, according to the report. Nearly 80 per cent of the 7,605 respondents to its survey said children in the province are spending too much time in front of a screen. 

Both TikTok and Facebook were scheduled to appear before the commission, which began its work in June 2024, but reneged at the last minute, said MNA Elizabeth Prass, one of the 12 commission members. “We were very disappointed,” Prass said. “You can’t have a conversation about the effects of screen times on kids and social media without having the major components and players in that discussion be present and answer questions.” 

The publication of the report follows Quebec’s decision to ban student use of cellphones in elementary and secondary schools, beginning in the fall of 2025—which was one of the commission’s key recommendations in an interim report published in April. Quebec is the first provincial government to enact such an outright ban, which sparked sporadic walkouts by students at some schools. A handful of countries have banned cellphones in school, including Cyprus and the Netherlands, as well as some U.S. states. 

Nevertheless, more than 90 per cent of Quebecers support such a ban, including 76 per cent of youth aged 14 to 17, according to a commission poll. The commission said a social media ban for those under 14 was a “lever that can contribute to the protection of young people online, particularly children.” 

The report also recommends banning micropayments in video games, such as the ability to purchase outfits and weapons in Fortnite, aimed at children. Such payments pose “significant concerns when these are aimed at minors,” the report claimed. 

The provincial government will now study the report’s recommendations. “It’s going to be up to the government to decide what they implement,” Prass said.