The Culver Community School Board members reviewed a resolution during the March 4 meeting that would authorize litigation against social media companies.
The resolution indicates that the Surgeon General of the United States Public Health Service has issued an advisory on social media and youth mental health where there are “growing concerns about the effects of social media on youth mental health”, and that “mitigating the potential harms of social media should not be placed solely on the shoulders of parents and caregivers, and that technology companies play a central role and have a fundamental responsibility in designing a safe online environment and in preventing, minimizing, and addressing the risks associated with social media.”
The resolution points to conclusions that up to 95 percent of youth ages 13-17 report using a social media platform with almost constant use, and nearly 40 percent of children ages 8-12 use social media. It also states that there is a consistent relationship between excessive social media use and “depression among youth”.
The resolution authorizes the law firm of Wagstaff and Cartmell, LLP to initiate litigation and file suit against any appropriate parties to seek compensation to the district for damages suffered by the district and its students as a result of the development, operation, and marketing of social media platforms, and to seek any other appropriate relief.
The school board approved the resolution with a unanimous vote.
