Since the early 2000s, social media has become a normalized part of our personal, educational and professional lives. While there are many benefits to using these online platforms, there are also several dangers. As there is little to no regulations in place, social media companies have designed platforms that target and manipulate users and encourages compulsive use.

Children and adolescents are especially vulnerable to this manipulative design. Their brains are still developing how they receive and process information, which differs from how an adult brain does. These targeted practices on youth affect their mental health and can lead to depression, anxiety and decreased feelings of self-worth. These platforms also expose children to harmful content, affect their social interactions, how they learn, and can lead to destructive behaviour including self-harm.

While the blame is often placed on teachers and parents for their children’s social media usage and its adverse effects, the truth is, the problem is far more complex than that. The system needs to be changed and to make that happen, it requires a multifaceted approach by several groups including governments, professionals, educators and families.

Neinstein LLP, a Toronto-based law firm that specializes in civil litigation, is taking the legal lead in pushing for accountability and change. In March 2024, the firm issued the first set of claims against the three biggest social media platforms, TikTok, Meta and Snapchat. In their claims, they allege that these companies are deceptively marketing to adolescents and are creating platforms that intentionally promote compulsive and addictive behaviours. These sites, through their manipulative tactics, have adversely disrupted children’s mental wellbeing, learning and classroom time. As a result, schools are forced to spend more money on mental health supports which is putting a greater strain on the education system.

The purpose of this litigation isn’t just about compensation, according to Sonia Nijjar, a partner at Neinstein LLP, who is representing the Ontario school boards. She wants social media companies to be held accountable and ensure their platforms are safer to use, especially for our youth. “This is about change and we’re not going to have change without regulation,” stated Nijjar. Neinstein LLP currently represents 22 of Ontario’s 72 school boards. This accounts for about 65 per cent of all students in Ontario.

Other provinces are also starting to take actions that will hold the social media tech companies accountable for their products. Different school divisions in other provinces and territories are also exploring legal options. In April 2026, the Manitoba government introduced a provincial bill to protect children from online social media harms.

The Government of Canada introduced Bill C-63, the Online Harms Act in February 2024. It aimed to protect people, especially children from harmful online content like sexual exploitation, online bullying and hate speech. However, the bill never passed legislation and died on the Order Paper in 2025. The federal government has recently introduced a social media ban for anyone under 16 years of age and are expected to announce a revised bill in the fall.

While Nijjar and her colleagues at Neinstein LLP are battling the social media companies in the courts and federal and provincial governments are developing laws to protect children from harmful online content, parents and teachers also have a vital role in advocacy for safer online usage. Children and teenagers must be part of the conversation, so it’s crucial that parents and educators talk to children openly and honestly about safe social media usage.