Social media use is a topic of concern for many parents across the globe and government policy often reflects that trend.
But some public institutions are being more proactive than others when it comes to tackling the questionable impact social media might have on young minds, as is the case in Ontario, Canada, where a school system is suing the major social media platforms for disrupting students’ fundamental “right to an education.”
In terms of new approaches to combating the ever-ubiquitous social media fad, this one is more novel than most and employs a unique charge that might be hard to disprove; namely, that social media use doesn’t contribute productively to the learning process.
Toronto District School Board Director of Education Colleen Russell-Rawlins outlined the central logic behind the suit in a press release to Newswire:
“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. Therefore, it is imperative that we take steps to ensure the well-being of our youth. We are calling for measures to be implemented to mitigate these harms and prioritize the mental health and academic success of our future generation.”
Outside of the academic arena, there’s other anecdotal evidence we’ve covered in this blog that perhaps young minds don’t need to take their cues from these platforms. From imitating dangerous stunts to actually engaging in antisocial, sometimes even criminal, behavior are just a few of our past favorites in this genre.
Any thoughts you might have on age limits for social media or ways of regulating its consumption are welcome in the comments.
Here are some other photography headlines you might like to read at this link.
