Rhonda McEwen Discusses Smart Phones, Social Media, and School Boards in the Toronto Star

ICCIT professor Rhonda McEwen has contributed an editorial to the Toronto Star discussing a recent move towards banning or limiting social media usage in Ontario elementary schools.

The article is a response to the recent lawsuit put forward by several Ontario school boards against Meta (owner of Facebook and Instagram), Snap Inc (Snapchat), and TikTok (ByteDance). The lawsuit alleges that these social media platforms harm students and the education system as a whole, necessitating the oversight of these platforms within the classroom.

McEwen, however, warns that these technologies are deeply ingrained into the lives of young people and are not going anywhere anytime soon. “Banning mobile phones outright in schools is not a viable solution. History shows that bans often lead to increased interest in prohibited activities.”

Instead, she calls on platform owners to take the initiative to propose and implement effective solutions.

Read the full editorial in The Toronto Star.