DEKALB COUNTY, GA — The DeKalb County School District is among several districts suing major tech companies, claiming student social media addiction is disrupting learning and classroom behavior.
The district is part of a broader legal effort involving about a thousand school systems targeting companies including Meta, TikTok, Snap and YouTube.
Officials are seeking at least $180 million in damages, along with funding to support a system-wide student mental health plan.
Titania Jordan of Atlanta-based Bark Technologies called a recent California verdict against tech companies a turning point.
“The first domino has tipped,” she said. “With DeKalb County School District filing a lawsuit against Meta, TikTok, Snap and YouTube, they stand an even better chance for their case to be heard and to receive damages.”
New research from the University of Georgia shows frequent social media use may impact a child’s development.
Earlier this week, a jury found Meta and YouTube negligent for designing apps that harmed children and teens and failing to warn users about the risks.
