Dear OCSB Parents and Guardians,
Today, the Ottawa Catholic School Board (OCSB) joins a growing coalition in a lawsuit against tech giants Meta, Snapchat, and TikTok. Initially started by four school boards, this effort now includes seven additional public, Catholic, and private school boards, bringing the total to eleven. We are united in addressing the detrimental impact of these companies on student well-being, learning, and the educational system.
At the OCSB, we are committed to teaching responsible and compassionate use of technology for good. However, we acknowledge that the behaviours of major social media companies are negatively impacting our students’ mental health and well-being, which contradicts our objective of promoting the use of technology for good.
This lawsuit is part of a broader strategy to address social media’s impact on student learning. It complements the provincial government’s new policy to limit classroom device use. While limiting device usage in schools is a positive measure, we recognize that excessive use of social media outside the classroom continues to pose an on-going challenge to student learning and well-being.
As many parents know, social media significantly impacts their children, influencing their thoughts, actions, behaviour, and learning. This has resulted in adverse effects at home and in school, leading to educators spending more time managing issues related to social media use in the classroom. Administrators are also updating curricula to address the changing needs of students dealing with significant attention, focus, and mental health challenges. These changes are causing major shifts in the educational landscape and placing a heavy strain on our board’s resources.
Our collective goal is to hold these companies accountable for negligently designing and marketing addictive products that disrupt our mandate to enhance student achievement and well-being.
Though in its early stages, this litigation seeks to compel social media companies to make their products safer, compensate our board for the disruptions caused, and support our students’ fundamental right to education.
For more information and updates on the litigation, please visit School Boards for Change.
Thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Thomas D’Amico
Director of Education
