Why Ontario school boards are suing social media platforms for causing an attention crisis
Why Ontario school boards are suing social media platforms for causing an attention crisis
March 29, 2024
Four of Ontario’s largest school boards have brought a lawsuit against four of the biggest social media companies for causing an epidemic of addiction among teens. The boards are seeking over $4 billion in damages.
Time spent on Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram and Youtube, the suit claims, has led to “an attention, learning, and mental health crisis.” The apps cause “distraction, social withdrawal, cyberbullying” and “a rapid escalation of aggression.”
The core claim in the lawsuit is that social media apps cause a public nuisance. A business does this when it pollutes a river. Protesters do it when they block a public road. The school boards allege that TikTok, Snapchat and others have interfered with a public right to education and impaired young people’s mental health.
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