School districts v META
On October 24, 2024, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled that school districts may pursue negligence claims against social media companies like Meta, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube, alleging that their platforms uses dark patterns to foster student addiction and burden school resources. This decision enables schools to seek compensation for costs linked to addressing social media addiction, such as the hiring of mental health staff, marking a step forward for districts in addressing the financial strain caused by students’ social media use. Judge Gonzalez Rogers highlighted that the districts’ financial harm is distinct from individual student injuries, as schools uniquely bear increased healthcare and support costs. Although the companies point to their efforts to protect young users—such as Meta's “Teen Accounts” and YouTube’s partnerships with mental health experts—the case advances toward bellwether trials where expert testimonies will explore the link between social media use and its alleged harm to students.