Texas School Districts Unite Against Social Media's Impact On Children's Mental Health

Several school districts in Texas including Abilene and Houston are now part of a lawsuit against the social media giants saying it affects the mental health of children.

The Lawsuit

What started as a lawsuit filed by Seattle School Districts in 2023, has expanded to cities nationwide that claim social media is a major cause in the mental health of children to deteriorate.

Additionally, the lawsuit alleges that the irresponsible behavior of these social media platforms has resulted in the loss of time, personal, and monetary resources from public schools to address a mental health crisis in youth.

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So far, 200 other school districts have joined the lawsuit, alleging that the platforms were designed to maximize screentime, in turn, encouraging addictive behaviors.

What Social Media Platforms Are Being Sued?

The lawsuit includes the biggest social media platforms out there including TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Discord, YouTube, and Google.

AISD Joins Lawsuit

On Tuesday, March 11th, Abilene Independent School District (AISD) joined the lawsuit. According to the Abilene Reporter News, the suit will not cost the district any money and any reward will compensate the law firm handling their case.

Social Media Snaps Back

Each company involved in the lawsuit has denied any wrongdoing saying the tools and settings within their respective platforms are designed to keep children safe and they should not be held liable under the Communications Decency Act.

The lawsuit continues to gain speed as the debate continues over social media’s role in the mental health of our youth. School districts argue that these platforms continue to contribute to a mental health crisis while tech companies maintain that they provide the safety and tools needed for responsible social media behavior.

Which side of the fence are you on? Is social media affecting the mental health of our youth?