Two Ontario school boards and two schools have joined the lawsuit against Snapchat, TikTok and Meta.

Five school boards and two private schools in Ontario have joined a lawsuit against Snapchat, TikTok and Meta, claiming the social media giants are harming students and hindering their academic progress. In late March, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), Peel District School Board (PDSB), Toronto District Catholic School Board (TCDSB) and Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) announced that they have filed a joint $4.5 billion lawsuit against the popular platforms.

The latest lawsuits, totaling $2.6 billion, were filed Tuesday by Dufferin-Peel District Catholic School Board (DPCDSB), York District Catholic School Board (YCDSB), Trillium Lakeland District School Board (TLDSB), Ottawa District Catholic School Board (OCSB) and the District Schools of Niagara (DSBN) is regulated.

Two Ontario private schools, Mississauga's Holy Name of Mary College School and Toronto's Eitz Chaim, have also filed complaints.

The schools spokesperson said, complaints filed by the school council and some schools stated that social media products have changed the way children think, behave and learn.

According to 2021 data from the Center on Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), approximately 91% of Ontario students in grades 7-12 use social media daily. Also, 31 percent of these students use social media for five hours or more a day.

The petition asks the social media giants to redesign their products to keep students safe.

Kelly Pisk, director of education for the Niagara Regional Council, said social media is severely hindering students' ability to absorb lessons, think critically and thrive in learning environments.

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