Nearly a dozen Long Island school districts have filed lawsuits against major social media companies like Facebook, TikTok, and Snapchat, accusing them of causing “addictive and dangerous” mental health issues among children and teenagers.
The lawsuits claim that these platforms have led to significant disruptions in the districts, necessitating financial resources to hire mental health professionals, adjust educational curricula to address social media dangers, and investigate online threats. According to William Shinoff, a lawyer representing the districts, the companies are aware of the harm caused by their platforms but have failed to take sufficient action to mitigate these effects.
The legal actions are part of a broader wave of complaints against social media companies, alleging that they have profited from and exacerbated the mental health crisis among youth. New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ administration filed a similar lawsuit earlier this year, accusing companies like Meta and Google of intentionally designing platforms to manipulate and addict children and teens.
On Long Island, more than two dozen additional districts are preparing similar lawsuits to those already filed in California federal court. The complaints accuse the social media companies of negligence and public nuisance, alleging that their algorithms exploit children’s susceptibility to addictive digital features, leading to significant harm.
School officials argue that they are at the forefront of addressing the damage caused by these platforms, which they claim target vulnerable children with addictive features. The plaintiffs include districts such as Brentwood, Bellmore-Merrick, East Islip, Great Neck, Islip, Jericho, Kings Park, North Merrick, Port Jefferson, South Huntington, and Westbury, reflecting widespread concerns among Long Island educators about the impact of social media on their students’ well-being.
Nicholas Ciappetta, president of the South Huntington Board of Education, highlighted the disruptive nature of social media posts within school environments, underscoring the urgency of addressing these issues through legal action.
The lawsuits underscore a growing movement to hold social media companies accountable for their role in the mental health challenges facing today’s youth, signaling a significant legal challenge for the tech industry amidst increasing scrutiny and criticism.
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