Seattle Public Schools Sues Social Media Giants Over Growing Student Mental Health Crisis

The Seattle Public School District is taking a first-of-its-kind step in holding social media platforms accountable for the emotional harm social media has caused children throughout the district.

The school district has filed a lawsuit against the parent companies of some of the biggest social media platforms. Named in the lawsuit are the parent companies of TikTok, Snapchat, Youtube, Facebook, and Instagram.

According to the school district, the addictive and mentally harmful impacts of these social media platforms against children have led to increased rates of sadness, depression, and other emotional and mental health issues. As a result, the school system has had to battle the rising rates of social media addiction and mental health struggles through measures that go beyond the scope of the school system's duties and financial capabilities.

Included in this added workload required of the school has been the development of lesson plans as they relate to the harms of social media and the onboarding and cost of more mental health specialists to help children combat mental health issues. The school has also had to implement more teacher training to help staff identify and address the negative impacts social media has had on this vulnerable population.

Seattle Public Schools is the largest school district in Washington State, with over 50,000 students. The school system explains that these tech giants “have successfully exploited the vulnerable brains of youth” through targeted algorithms and unrestricted access to content that is harmful to the development of young users. The lawsuit accuses the tech giants of having played a substantial role in causing the mental health crisis that has continually disproportionately impacted younger individuals across the nation. According to the school system, the negative impacts of social media have presented themselves in the student body as “anxiety, depression, thoughts of self-harm, and suicidal ideation.”

In a statement shared by Seattle Public Schools, the district explains its intent with the lawsuit, stating, “The goal is not to eliminate social media, but to change how these companies operate and force them to take responsibility. We are asking these popular companies to maximize their efforts to safeguard students, who are their most vulnerable consumers.”

While the school system acknowledges that it will continue to help its student body through appropriate mental health counseling, they explain that they will need comprehensive support which includes a long-term plan and continued funding to help support the growing mental health crisis in their school system.

“We believe that the companies should be held responsible for their actions and the harm they are causing by contributing to the increasing costs that school districts now bear in response to the increasing mental and emotional health needs of students,” the school district explains.

As part of its filing, the school system lists alarming rates related to the mental health crisis in the school district, rates that likely reflect many other school districts throughout the nation. Among the data are the following:

• From 2009 to 2019, the rate of high school students who reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness increased by 40 percent (to one out of every three kids);
• From 2007 to 2019, suicide rates among youth ages 10–24 in the United States increased by 57 percent. By 2018, suicide was the second leading cause of death for youth ages 10–24; and
• From 2007 to 2016, emergency room visits for youth ages 5–17 rose 117 percent for anxiety disorders, 44 percent for mood disorders, and 40 percent for attention disorders.

Additionally, the lawsuit is littered with credible research that highlights the negative impacts social media has on users, particularly younger users.

Included in the evidence is a 2021 investigation conducted by The Wall Street Journal which looked at teenage girls who developed eating disorders after being exposed to extreme dieting content on TikTok, a feed that was carefully curated based on their interests and internet use.

The lawsuit’s claims are also supported by testimony that took place in front of Congress in 2021. A former product manager and Facebook whistleblower, Frances Haugen, testified that Facebook knew about the harmful impact social media had on children, yet executives hid research about the potential risks.

After the lawsuit was filed, several of the named defendants pushed back against the accusations. Jose Castaneda, a Google spokesperson, shared that the company has taken strong measures to protect the well-being of its youngest users. Google has "introduced strong protections and dedicated features to prioritize their well-being,” Castaneda explained.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, also expressed its commitment to helping support its youngest users. The social media giant explains that it has developed over 30 tools to help support teenagers and their families. The company also vowed to continue working with policymakers, experts, and parents to create a safer user experience for its younger users.