Springtown Independent School District has joined a nationwide lawsuit against major social media companies, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube. The lawsuit seeks to hold these companies accountable for creating addictive technologies that target youth and contribute to a growing mental health crisis among children and teens.
“Student well-being is at the heart of everything we do in Springtown ISD,” said Superintendent Shane Strickland. “Like school districts across the nation, we are seeing the impact of social media on our students’ mental health, safety, and ability to focus on learning. This lawsuit is about standing up for our kids and ensuring they have the safe, supportive environment they deserve.”
The lawsuit alleges that social media platforms knowingly designed features that encourage excessive use and dependency, leading to increased mental health challenges among young people. Springtown ISD, along with other districts across Texas and the country, is taking part in this legal action to seek accountability and relief for the resources schools have been forced to direct toward addressing these challenges.
As part of the case, the District is preserving records related to student social media use, district responses, and mental health services. This step helps provide the courts with a complete picture of how schools are being impacted by the actions of social media companies.
“Schools should not have to shoulder the burden of addressing the harms caused by billion-dollar tech companies,” said Mr. Strickland. “By joining this effort, we are fighting for our students and standing with other districts to demand change.”
The lawsuit will proceed in the coming months, and Springtown ISD will provide updates as appropriate.