A year into Seattle Public Schools’ lawsuit against social media companies, the case is gaining traction.
More than 50 school districts in Washington state — and dozens more across the country — have joined Seattle’s lawsuit.
Seattle became the first district to sue social media platforms last January, in an effort to hold the companies accountable for a growing youth mental health crisis. The district says it’s seeking two outcomes:
- Changes to the “intentional and harmful” business practices
- Money to help schools address the increased need for student mental health services
In court filings, the district alleges social media companies deliberately designed their platforms to target and exploit minors for profit. And, they say, rampant social media addiction has led to more students grappling with mental health concerns. For example, Seattle schools reported a 30% increase in students who reported feeling sad or hopeless almost every day between 2009 and 2019.
Lucía Magis-Weinberg is a psychology professor at the University of Washington whose research focuses on how social media has affected adolescent development.
“Whether it’s related to social media or not, I think schools do so much for young people, and I think that they’re already overstretched, especially coming out of the pandemic,” Magis-Weinberg said.
“They’re often the first point of contact when there’s issues, so we need to do a much better job supporting schools in doing this very, very key task of being the first point of contact.”
Districts that have filed suit over the last year include some of the state’s largest, including Spokane, Kent, Vancouver, and Evergreen.