OCALA, Fla. (WCJB) — The Marion County School Board is taking action against some of the biggest social media companies, claiming their platforms are contributing to addiction and mental health issues among students.
The school board recently joined a nationwide lawsuit targeting companies like TikTok, Facebook and Instagram owner Meta, and Google and YouTube owner Alphabet Inc. The lawsuit claims these platforms are designed to maximize screen time and encourage addictive behavior, especially in teens, by using features that keep users scrolling for long periods of time.
Marion County Public Schools leaders say joining the lawsuit could help recover costs related to student mental health services and other resources schools have had to provide.
Raeleigh Hester, a student at Forest High School, says that while she understands concerns about addiction, she thinks that rather than the lawsuit, more effort should be put into directly supporting student mental health.
“I do think it impacts your mood and mental health because you’ll see comments, you’ll see people that are out of standards and you’ll see like mean things people are saying about someone and you might have those traits yourself, so it can be really hurtful and it can be hard to not to compare yourself,” Hester said.
Students say social media is a big part of their daily lives, but they also say it can come with real consequences.
The lawsuit also claims these platforms lack basic safety features like strong age verification and parental controls, and can contribute to issues like anxiety, depression, and social comparison among young users. Students like Hester say they see those impacts play out daily, both in school and online.
The case, now joined by districts across the country, is expected to continue through federal court. The district says it will not pay any legal fees unless the case is successful.
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