Canada school boards sue social media giants for affecting students' mental health

Four Canadian school boards have filed a lawsuit against major social media companies, including Meta Platforms and Snap, seeking damages totalling over $2.96 billion USD. The legal action alleges that the companies' products, designed to foster compulsive usage, have negatively affected students' mental health and learning processes.

Representing more than 1,000 schools, the Toronto District School Board, Peel District School Board, Toronto Catholic District School Board, and Ottawa-Carleton District School Board are involved in this action, with Neinstein LLP, a law firm based in Toronto, serving as their legal representation.

The suit is supported by studies linking prolonged use of social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram to increased anxiety and depression. It also points to the added costs incurred by schools in providing enhanced support services to address these issues.

Additionally, the lawsuit names TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, underscoring the global concern regarding the influence of social media on youth.