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How do you navigate the social media minefield with your kids?

School boards are concerned about social media's impact on students. (Katerina Holmes via Pexels.com) School boards are concerned about social media's impact on students. (Katerina Holmes via Pexels.com)
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Since its arrival, social media has become a life-changing force and fixture in many people's daily lives, especially youth.

But growing fears about its harm have sparked lawsuits against the companies from hundreds of school districts in the United States and now Canada.

In separate but similar statements of claim filed on Wednesday, four Ontario school boards accuse Snapchat, TikTok, and Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, of creating products that negligently interfere with student learning and have caused 鈥渨idespread disruption to the education system.鈥

According to the school boards, the damages include 鈥渁 significant diversion and drain鈥 on resources and personnel. None of the allegations have been proven in court.

"The influence of social media on today's youth at school cannot be denied. It leads to pervasive problems such as distraction, social withdrawal, cyberbullying, a rapid escalation of aggression, and mental health challenges,鈥 Colleen Russell-Rawlins, the director of education with the Toronto District School Board, said in a news release issued Thursday.

The Toronto District School Board, the Peel District School Board, the Toronto Catholic District School Board, and the Ottawa Carleton District School Board are seeking $4.5 billion in damages. The social media giants didn't immediately answer requests for comment.

Are your children addicted to social media? Do you have concerns about their usage of social media? How do you manage their use of platforms such as Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and X? What is the impact of social media on your kids?

CTVNews.ca wants to hear from you. Share your story by emailing us at dotcom@bellmedia.ca with your name, general location and phone number in case we want to follow up. Your comments may be used in a story.

With files from CP24 Web Content Writer Codi Wilson

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