Watertown City School District joins class-action lawsuit against social media companies

FILE – This combination of 2017-2022 photos shows the logos of Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat on mobile devices. Ohio’s governor wants the state to require parental consent for kids under 16 to get new accounts on TikTok, Snapchat and other social media platforms. Republican Gov. Mike DeWine’s two-year budget proposal, Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023 would create a law that social media companies must obtain a parent’s permission for children to sign up for social media and gaming apps. (AP Photo, File)

by: Dan Mount

Posted: Sep 6, 2023 / 11:07 AM EDT

Updated: Sep 6, 2023 / 11:07 AM EDT

WATERTOWN, N.Y. (WWTI) – The Watertown City School District has decided to join a class-action lawsuit against social media companies such as Twitter/X, TikTok, Meta, and other social media companies.

The school board voted in favor of the lawsuit because of the continued mental health crises in which social media has allegedly contributed to.

School districts have been forced to take money from their budgets and devote it to mental health programs and educational campaigns.

The district won’t have to pay anything if the lawsuit is unsuccessful. Around 200 schools have joined the lawsuit as of July of this year.