In a groundbreaking move, four Ontario school boards have taken legal action against social media giants Snapchat, TikTok, and Meta (which owns Facebook and Instagram), seeking $4.5 billion in damages. The lawsuits, filed in Ontario’s Superior Court of Justice, accuse these platforms of intentionally harming students, disrupting their learning, and adversely affecting their mental health.
The public boards in Toronto, Peel, Ottawa, and the Toronto Catholic board have individually filed similar cases, alleging that these social media platforms are designed to encourage compulsive use, leading to a rewiring of children’s behaviors and cognitive processes. They are demanding that these companies make significant improvements to their platforms, as stated in their claims.
Colleen Russell-Rawlins, the director of education at the Toronto District School Board, highlighted the challenges faced by educators in mitigating the impacts of these addictive platforms on students’ well-being. She emphasized the need for increased awareness and actions from social media companies to create safer online environments.
Brendan Browne, the director of education for the Toronto Catholic District School Board, echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the responsibility of these companies to acknowledge and address the harmful effects their platforms can have on young users.
The allegations include claims of cyberbullying, aggressive behaviors, and disruptions in students’ social relationships and academic focus due to excessive social media usage. These issues, combined with the challenges of managing mental health concerns among students, have prompted the school boards to seek legal recourse.
Snapchat responded to the allegations by highlighting its unique features designed to promote communication among close friends and mitigate some of the traditional pitfalls of social media, such as public likes and comments. However, responses from other social media companies named in the lawsuits were not received by the deadline.
Duncan Embury, head of litigation at Neinstein LLP representing the school boards, emphasized that this legal action aims to drive meaningful change in how social media platforms impact young users. Similar cases in the United States have gained traction, with about 500 school districts pursuing legal action against these companies.
The lawsuits allege that the social media companies knowingly or negligently contributed to maladaptive behaviors, disrupted sleep patterns, and attention impairments among students, significantly impacting the overall school climate and learning environments.
The decision by these Ontario school boards to take legal action underscores the growing concern among educators and parents about the influence of social media on children and adolescents. It also reflects a broader trend of holding tech companies accountable for their impact on society, particularly concerning youth well-being and mental health.
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