Seattle Public Schools Sue Social Media Giants, Blame Them for Growing Mental Health Crisis among Young People

“Defendants have successfully exploited the vulnerable brains of youth, hooking tens of millions of students across the country into positive feedback loops of excessive use and abuse of Defendants’ social media platforms,” the complaint said. “Worse, the content Defendants curate and direct to youth is too often harmful and exploitive ….”

According to the Associated Press, the school district is asking for a court order to stop the companies, award damages, and pay for prevention education programs and treatment options for users.

Federal law protects online companies from liability over what users post on their social media accounts, but the lawsuit instead says the technology companies are targeting youth.

“Plaintiff is not alleging Defendants are liable for what third-parties have said on Defendants’ platforms but, rather, for Defendants’ own conduct,” the lawsuit said. “Defendants affirmatively recommend and promote harmful content to youth, such as pro-anorexia and eating disorder content.”

Snapchat said in statements that they have worked on ways to protect users, including Snap’s in-app support called Here For You, which helps users find mental health and emotional crisis resources. Snapchat also lets parents see to whom their children are sending content on the platform.

“We will continue working to make sure our platform is safe and to give Snapchatters dealing with mental health issues resources to help them deal with the challenges facing young people today,” the company said in a written statement.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson from Google, which owns YouTube, said the platform has several parental options and restrictions, including limiting screen time and blocking certain content.

“We have invested heavily in creating safe experiences for children across our platforms and have introduced strong protections and dedicated features to prioritize their well-being,” spokesman José Castañeda said.

Photo courtesy: Arpad Czapp/Unsplash

Amanda Casanova is a writer living in Dallas, Texas. She has covered news for ChristianHeadlines.com since 2014. She has also contributed to The Houston Chronicle, U.S. News and World Report and IBelieve.com. She blogs at The Migraine Runner.