Since its arrival, social media has become a life-changing force and fixture in many people’s daily lives, especially youth.
But growing fears about its harm have sparked lawsuits against the social media companies from hundreds of school districts in the United States and now Canada.
In separate but similar statements of claim filed on Wednesday, four Ontario school boards accuse Snapchat, TikTok, and Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, of creating products that negligently interfere with student learning and have caused “widespread disruption to the education system.”
According to the school boards, the damages include “a significant diversion and drain” on resources and personnel. None of the allegations have been proven in court.
“The influence of social media on today’s youth at school cannot be denied. It leads to pervasive problems such as distraction, social withdrawal, cyberbullying, a rapid escalation of aggression, and mental health challenges,” Colleen Russell-Rawlins, the director of education with the Toronto District School Board, said in a news release issued Thursday.
The Toronto District School Board, the Peel District School Board, the Toronto Catholic District School Board, and the Ottawa Carleton District School Board are seeking $4.5 billion in damages. The social media giants didn’t immediately answer requests for comment.
Are your children addicted to social media? Do you have concerns about their usage of social media? How do you manage their use of platforms such as Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and X? What is the impact of social media on your kids?
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With files from CP24 Web Content Writer Codi Wilson
TDSB Statement of Claim by CTV News on Scribd