Wake County Schools Considering Suing Social Media Companies Over Student Mental Health

Source: WRAL

The Wake County school board is contemplating the possibility of taking legal action against social media companies, contending that the psychological damage caused by their apps necessitates school intervention, according to WRAL. This would align Wake County with numerous other school boards that have already initiated lawsuits against companies such as Meta, Google, ByteDance, and Snap. 

Eleven other North Carolina school systems, including Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Clinton City, Cumberland, Johnston, Wilson, Union, Robeson, Moore, Wayne, Pitt, and Rockingham counties, are already involved in similar legal actions. As of December, at least 42 state attorneys general, including North Carolina’s Josh Stein, have also filed lawsuits.

The legal complaints against social media companies assert their failure to adequately warn teenage users of potential harm, attributing increased rates of eating disorders, depression, and anxiety to their platforms. School boards argue that educational funds have been redirected to address children’s mental health issues resulting from the impact of these apps. The existing lawsuits have been consolidated into a national case before a federal court in Northern California, and the Wake County school board is poised to join these consolidated proceedings.

The social media companies in question have not immediately responded to requests for comment. In previous statements to the media, these companies have asserted efforts to enhance safety for teenagers. Wake County’s approach in this social media case mirrors its strategy when suing JUUL Labs and other e-cigarette companies for allegedly targeting teenagers. Those lawsuits were amalgamated with similar national cases and subsequently settled, with Wake schools receiving substantial funds to combat teen vaping.

On Tuesday, the school board will hear from legal representatives Janet Ward Black of Ward Black Law and Matthew Legg of Baird Mandalas Brockstedt and Federico. These law firms are representing other school districts in North Carolina and beyond. In their scheduled presentation, the attorneys argue that social media companies intentionally design addictive products, causing distress among users that manifests in schools, where students struggle and educators require additional resources to address these issues.

Read more from WRAL

Share:

More Posts

NC House Democrats Stand United Against SB 153

SB 153 is a right-wing bill that would burden local law enforcement, infringe on the rights of local governments, and further empower ICE to perform unconstitutional raids on North Carolina communities. 

Redadas de ICE en Charlotte y Concord: Intensificación de Arrestos de Inmigrantes en Carolina del Norte

En una reunión celebrada el 21 de mayo en la sede de ICE en Washington, el principal asesor del presidente Trump, Stephen Miller, y la secretaría de Seguridad Nacional, Kristi Noem, instruyeron a los oficiales de inmigración a aumentar los arrestos diarios a 3,000, triplicando la cifra alcanzada en los primeros meses del mandato de Trump. Este objetivo forma parte de un esfuerzo por ejecutar la operación de deportación más grande en la historia de Estados Unidos. 

Trump’s FEMA Denies North Carolina’s Hurricane Helene Aid Request, Again

“FEMA’s denial of our appeal will cost North Carolina taxpayers potentially hundreds of millions of dollars to clean up out west,” Stein explained. “The money we have to pay toward debris removal will mean less money toward supporting our small businesses, rebuilding downtown infrastructure, repairing our water and sewer systems, and other critical needs.”

3 Million People Could Lose SNAP Under GOP Plan, Gov. Stein Warns of NC Fallout

“If Congress goes forward with these plans, our state will be forced into perilous budget decisions – should North Carolinians lose access to food, or should we get rid of other essential services?” Gov. Stein wrote. “I urge our members of Congress to reject this budget proposal so that North Carolina families don’t go hungry.”