| Schools in Canada File Claims Against Social Media Giants for Impact on Mental Health |
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| Published: March 28, 2024 |
Schools in the major cities of Canada have lodged claims against prominent social media networks, alleging that these platforms are negatively affecting the mental health of students and impacting their education. META Platforms Inc. (owner of Facebook*), ByTedance Ltd. (owner of Tiktok), and Snap Inc. (owner of Snapchat) are the focus of the claims filed by school districts in Toronto, Ottawa, and the surrounding area. The claims, submitted on Wednesday, seek approximately 4.5 billion Canadian dollars (3.3 billion US dollars) in compensation.
The schools argue that these companies intentionally design their platforms to attract children, leading to addictive behaviors that not only disrupt the learning environment but also make students more susceptible to issues like sexual violence and exploitation.
According to a statement from the Toronto school board submitted to the Ontario Superior Court, the excessive use of social media is causing a mental health crisis among young people. The school districts highlight that companies exploit their understanding of children’s vulnerability to manipulation through their products.
Reports from the school districts of Canada reveal that nearly half of students in Ontario experience sleep deprivation, partly due to their reliance on social media. Issues like psychological anxiety and dysmorphophobia have become prevalent, prompting schools to allocate significant resources for hiring social workers, counselors, and other support staff.
Furthermore, the Ottawa-Carleton School District points out that educational institutions often fall victim to anonymous social media accounts spreading false accusations, hate speech, and derogatory content targeting students and staff. The failure of companies to promptly remove such harmful content poses a threat to school safety, with anonymous accounts creating opportunities for threats of violence, vandalism, and the promotion of dangerous challenges popularized on platforms like Tiktok.