Social media giants avoid US school districts’ addiction claims

The cases are among hundreds in state and federal court alleging that social media platforms are designed to be addictive and are dangerous for youths. — Image by freepik

Meta Platforms Inc and other social media companies won the dismissal of novel claims in hundreds of lawsuits brought by school districts seeking to recover costs for addressing the negative impacts of students’ social media use.

A California state judge sided Friday with Meta, Snap Inc, TikTok Inc and Google LLC in throwing out the districts’ allegations that social media has increased the cost of education because it makes students more distracted and disruptive, driving up the need for classroom discipline, employee training and communication with parents.