Staff Reports
In response to the growing crisis of mental health in America's youth, Seattle Public Schools sued the companies that operate social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.
According to the complaint, the social media platforms intentionally designed their products to "hook" young people. This issue has reportedly led to a rise in mental health concerns.
(via Reuters):
"The lawsuit claims that the companies' actions have contributed to the rise of mental health issues among young people.
The lawsuit claims that the companies have exploited the brains of young people. They have intentionally created a positive feedback loop for their users, which has led to an increase in the number of students experiencing mental health issues.
According to the complaint, the prevalence of mental health issues has worsened the performance of students with these issues. As a result, schools have been forced to hire more staff members and develop additional resources to help students.
The lawsuit seeks monetary compensation, as well as other penalties."
A Seattle-based news outlet claimed that over 16 million people under the age of 14 use TikTok.
Psychology professor Lucia Magis-Weinburg stated that social media platforms can measure a person's popularity based on how many likes they have or don't have.
An attorney for the school district, who is represented by Keller Rohrback, stated that about 50 percent of teenagers spend up to three hours a day using social media.
The lawsuit claims that the companies have directly impacted the school district's 49,000 students.
According to Craick, the rise in mental health issues, including attempted suicides, is no coincidence. He noted that research has shown that social media has a significant impact on the development and prevalence of mental health problems among young people.
It has become clear that many kids are struggling with mental health issues. The negative effects of social media, including excessive screen time and the addictive nature of their content, have been identified as contributing to the rise of these issues.
In response to the growing number of students struggling with mental health issues, the school district is confident that the lawsuit will lead to a solution.
The preceding is a summary of an article that originally appeared on Town Hall.
