The world’s leading social media companies are constantly adopting new ways to keep students connected with their platforms. Internal documents related to the lawsuits filed by the governing bodies of 1400 US schools against Meta, Snapchat and TikTok have revealed that the companies are spending crores of rupees to capture the attention of the youth and keep them on the screens for longer periods. This disclosure has come at a time when protests against social media are increasing. Parents’ movements, many popular books and experts have blamed tech platforms for problems like loneliness, bullying, poor eating habits and sexual exploitation. Earlier the debate was limited to the impact of social media on mental health, but now its focus has also shifted towards its impact on learning in classrooms. According to the documents and conversations with parents, teachers and former employees of tech companies, the companies ignored the concerns of parents, teachers and even their own trust and safety teams in order to keep children glued to screens. TikTok’s security team has recommended turning off notifications during school hours for years, but the company hasn’t done so. At the same time, Snapchat’s strategic documents refer to phone use during class as “under desk time”. Google managers were aware that YouTube suggests videos to students during school hours that have nothing to do with studies. The report also revealed that big tech companies have long had partnerships with parent-teacher organizations to increase Internet safety and reputation. The National PTA, representing 22,000 local chapters, receives approximately Rs 2.40 crore from social media companies every year. Information about getting financial assistance of up to Rs 4.75 crore is also being sent to the children during their studies. – TikTok gave crores of rupees to the journalists for the coverage of its event in the school. Lawyer Previn Warren says that social media platforms are so tempting that students pay attention to them instead of school. These companies also argue that the companies making the apps are ready to pay Rs. 258 crores. Recently, big companies in a small district of Breathitt County have agreed to pay Rs. 258 crores. 86 crores and Snapchat will give Rs 76-76 crores and Google will give Rs 19 crores
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