Are social media companies to blame for youth mental health issues? – Deseret News

Seattle public schools are suing the companies behind popular social media platforms Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube, claiming these companies are largely responsible for a major decline in youths’ mental health.Seattle School District filed their complaint Friday, and Kent School District joined the lawsuit Monday. Seattle law firm Keller Rohrback is representing the districts.According to the Seattle School District’s complaint, social media has made it more difficult to educate their students, as youth experiencing anxiety, depression and other mental health issues “perform worse in school, are less likely to attend school, more likely to engage in substance use, and to act out.” The schools are seeking the legal maximum amount of damages, saying the compensation is necessary to fund resources that will combat the mental health crisis social media has allegedly caused. They also hope these companies will “take responsibility for the harm they are causing students,” Keller Rohrback attorney Dean Kawamoto said in an email to Deseret News.The complaint points to research revealing social media’s strong role in mental illness and says the national youth mental health crisis is evident in heightened rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation among teenagers. Keller Rohrback cited the U.S. Surgeon General
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