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Big tech companies must be held accountable for the negative impact their platforms are having on children's mental health and academic performance.
Published date May 8, 2024 • Last updated 24 minutes ago • Reading time 3 minutes
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By holding tech giants accountable for the negative impact their platforms have had on children, the authors argue that education systems are not only seeking reparations, but also advocating for systemic change. Photo credit: JOEL SAGET /AFP Photo illustration, Getty Images
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Last month, the Ontario government announced a ban on cell phones and social media in schools across the province. This comes after an Ontario school board filed a lawsuit against social media platforms, claiming they were creating a learning crisis and exacerbating children's mental health issues. These efforts focus on the complex interplay between societal challenges and technological advances.
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Driven by sophisticated artificial intelligence algorithms, social media platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat, and Meta can have a profound impact on the cognitive and emotional development of young people, perpetuating harmful biases and stereotypes in the process. Experiments have shown that there are many. As our education system confronts the negative effects of social media on children's mental health and academic performance, it is increasingly important to confront the parallel challenges posed by biased AI systems.
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The impact of social media on education is manifold and far-reaching. Platforms are being held accountable for protecting young people from the potential harmful effects of excessive social media use: decreased academic performance, increased anxiety levels, depression, and potential social isolation. Additionally, the prevalence of cyberbullying and online harassment further complicates the challenges educators and parents face in protecting children's well-being in an increasingly digital world.
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Against this backdrop, a lawsuit filed in March by four school boards has become a watershed in the debate over digital responsibility and accountability in Canada. (The U.S. Board of Education has filed similar lawsuits.) By holding tech giants accountable for the negative impacts their platforms have had on children, education systems can not only seek reparations but also change the system. claims. The algorithmic mechanisms that underpin the operation of SocialHis platforms, and the opaque nature of algorithmic decision-making, further complicate efforts to address these issues.
An alarming aspect of such activities is the collection, storage, and commercial exploitation of children's personal data by Big Tech platforms, often in violation of the law. For example, Microsoft last year agreed to a $20 million settlement with the Federal Trade Commission for illegally collecting personal information from children without their parents' consent.
In theory, most social media use has a minimum age restriction (usually 13 years or older), but in practice it is rarely enforced. However, this may change. Last summer, France passed a law requiring consent for children under 15 on social media. In Canada, opinions differ regarding age limits.
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Ontario's latest policy builds on a 2019 ban on cell phone use in classrooms, although some research suggests school boards have been inconsistent in their implementation. There is. Quebec has similarly banned students from using cell phones in the classroom. Prime Minister François Legault recently acknowledged the problem of overexposure to screens among young people, but said it was parents' responsibility to limit the amount of time their children spent on digital devices.
In February, the federal government introduced its long-awaited online harms bill, Bill C-63. This law aims to ensure the accountability of online platforms. However, to ensure adequate protection of minors, the bill should define and enforce minimum standards for Big Tech platforms in terms of content accessibility, user privacy, and data security.
However, it is important to emphasize that not everything is doom and gloom. The intersection of social media and AI presents an opportunity to drive positive social change. New industries go through stages of growth and maturity. It has only been 20 years since social media use expanded unregulated and uncontrolled. We can and should now expect platforms to be more responsible and considerate of the well-being of their users.
While algorithms pose significant risks in validating and reinforcing existing societal biases, AI technologies also have the potential to mitigate and counter these biases through proactive intervention and algorithmic audits. By harnessing the power of AI, movements like AI for Social Good can pave the way for a more just and inclusive future in both education and technology.
Through collective action, advocacy and innovation, we can empower young people to responsibly navigate the digital landscape and foster a culture of positive change.
Maxine Iannuccilli and Azfar Adib are doctoral candidates and public academics at Concordia University.
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