School districts across the United States are pursuing legal action against social media companies, claiming that they have contributed to the country's growing youth mental health crisis and should be held accountable, as per The Washington Post.
The litigation began in January with a case brought by Seattle Public Schools and has gained momentum in recent weeks, with school districts in California, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Florida joining the cause. Lawyers involved in the cases say that many more lawsuits are being planned.
Mental Health Lawsuit
San Mateo County, located in the Silicon Valley area of northern California and home to 23 school districts, filed a 107-page complaint in federal court last week.
The lawsuit alleges that social media companies have created addictive platforms that cause young people to harm through the use of advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning technology.
According to the complaint, the results of this have been disastrous, with more children than ever struggling with their mental health due to excessive use of the platforms. The suit also claims that there is no historical precedent for the crisis that the nation's youth are now facing.
The lawsuit cites data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which shows an increase in depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts among the country's high school students.
It also contends that the rise in popularity of social media "tracks precisely" with the decline in youth mental health. The complaint quotes President Biden's remarks in his State of the Union address, in which he stated that the tactics used by social media companies are an "experiment they are running on our children for profit."
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Social Media Responses
Social media companies have not directly commented on the litigation. Still, they have released written statements saying that they prioritize teen safety and have measures in place to protect young users.
For example, TikTok has cited age-restricted features, limits on direct messaging and live streams, and private accounts for younger teens. YouTube, which is owned by Google, has Family Link, which allows parents to set reminders, limit screen time, and block certain types of content on supervised devices.
Meta, which owns Instagram, has said that more than 30 tools support teens and families, including age-verification technology, notifications to take regular breaks, and features that allow parents to limit time on Instagram.
Meanwhile, Snapchat has stated that its platform "curates content from known creators and publishers and uses human moderation to review user-generated content before it can reach a large audience."
The lawsuits filed by Seattle Public Schools in January claimed that social media companies "exploit the same neural circuitry as gambling and recreational drugs to keep consumers using their products as much as possible."
The suit noted that social media is so popular that it is used by 90% of those aged 13 to 17. One study cited in the complaint showed that users check Snapchat 30 times a day, and almost 20% of teens use YouTube "almost constantly."
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