Four of the largest school boards in Ontario are taking legal action against the companies that own Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok. They claim that these social media platforms are causing problems for students' education.
The lawsuits argue that these platforms are designed in a way that encourages excessive use and have changed the way children think, behave, and learn, which is making it difficult for teachers and schools to handle the consequences.
They argue that students are facing issues with attention, learning, and mental health because they are using social media platforms too much and too often.
The school boards said in a news release on Thursday that the excessive use of social media by students is putting a lot of pressure on the resources of the four school boards, leading to additional needs for mental health programs, increased IT costs, and more administrative resources.
The claims in the lawsuits filed in Ontario Superior Court are not yet proven.
The school boards that are taking legal action are the District School Board, the Peel District School Board, the Catholic District School Board, and the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board. Toronto They are looking to receive over $4 billion in damages due to the disruption of student learning and the education system. Toronto Meta Platforms Inc. owns Facebook and Instagram, while Snap Inc. owns Snapchat and ByteDance Ltd. owns TikTok.
The companies have not responded immediately to requests for comment.
Four Ontario school boards have initiated legal action against the companies that own Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok, claiming that these platforms are causing problems for student learning.
The companies did not respond immediately to requests for comment.
