CHARLES COUNTY, Md. — The Board of Education of Charles County is fed up with social media companies targeting their students, so board members have decided to do something about it.
Earlier this week, the school board filed a lawsuit against several social media companies claiming a negative impact on youth mental health.
The lawsuit alleges that the addictive products offered by these companies, including social media platforms Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and TikTok, are increasing the youth mental health crisis and placing a burden on school systems to provide adequate mental health resources.
Charles County Public Schools is one of several school systems in Maryland, and across the country, to file a lawsuit against these companies.
The lawsuit talks about how social media platforms are designed to target and addict children. Adding that algorithms can be used to manipulate users into staying on the platform for as long as possible, leading to excessive use.
The lawsuit also argues that the minimum age of consent to join most of these platforms is 13 and that the platforms do not offer enough safeguards to authenticate a user's account.
Board members say social media platforms target young people by exploiting a compulsion in them to feel connected and accepted.
Mental health issues for students can include depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation, the lawsuit reads.
The school system alleges that these social media companies know about the negative impacts of social media on youth mental health and continue to prioritize profits over safety.
"We know kids are coming to school with mental health struggles that may be exacerbated by their use of social media and exposure to harmful algorithms. We see these impacts each day when students come to school and struggle just to get through the day. It is our job to ensure that while students are in school, they are not only learning but thriving as individuals and are happy. It is our hope that this lawsuit holds the platform providers accountable for their negative impacts on children,” Superintendent of Schools Maria V. Navarro, Ed.D., said
In order to better support the mental health needs of students, CCPS hired four additional school psychologists, eight additional school counselors and three additional behavioral support program staff members for the 2023-24 school year.
The school system is also hosting Mental Health First Aid classes for parents of children between the ages of 12 to 18. The classes will cover common signs and symptoms of mental health challenges often found in the age group including anxiety, depression, disordered eating and attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD).
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