Canadian school authority's lawsuit against TikTok-Facebook-Snapchat-Instagram

Four major boards that oversee Canadian school education have sued some of the world's biggest social media companies. They complain that these media are disrupting the studies of students. They are addictive for children.

  Four school boards in different regions of Canada have demanded about $2.9 billion (C$4 billion) in damages. They claim that social media is changing the way children think, behave and learn. Their widespread use is distracting children, disrupting their studies and affecting their mental health.

The four boards filed the complaints separately. But they have all brought charges against Facebook and Instagram parent Meta Platform Inc, Snapchat parent Snap Inc and TikTok parent ByteDance.

Of the four boards that have filed complaints, one is the Toronto District School Board. Its director of education, Colin Russell Rawlins, said, "The influence of social media on today's younger schoolchildren cannot be denied."

Some studies have shown that platforms like Facebook and Instagram can be addictive. If they are used over a long period of time, they can cause anxiety and depression in people.

In May 2023, US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said, 'There is increasing evidence that social media use is harming the mental health of young people.'

Murthy also said that children are exposed to violent and sexual content on social media. Besides, they are being bullied and harassed. Children's use of social media can lead to sleep deprivation, disconnection from friends and family.

According to the Surgeon General last year, 95 percent of 13- to 17-year-old children surveyed said they use social media. A third of them said they use social media 'almost constantly'.

In a press conference on Thursday, Doug Ford, head of the provincial government of Ontario, was asked about the case filed in Canada. He said, he does not agree with this activity of the school boards.