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Seattle Public Schools Sue Social Media Giants for Youth Mental Health Crisis (geekwire.com) 165

Posted by EditorDavid from the unfriending dept.
Long-time Slashdot reader theodp writes: "A new lawsuit filed by Seattle Public Schools against TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, Snap, Instagram, and their parent companies alleges that the social media giants have 'successfully exploited the vulnerable brains of youth' for their own profit, using psychological tactics that have led to a mental health crisis in schools," reports GeekWire. "The suit, filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Seattle, seeks "the maximum statutory and civil penalties permitted by law," making the case that the companies have violated Washington state's public nuisance law."
From GeekWire's report: The district alleges that it has suffered widespread financial and operational harm from social media usage and addiction among students. The lawsuit cites factors including the resources required to provide counseling services to students in crisis, and to investigate and respond to threats made against schools and students over social media. 'This mental health crisis is no accident,' the suit says. 'It is the result of the Defendants' deliberate choices and affirmative actions to design and market their social media platforms to attract youth.'"

The lawsuit cites President Joe Biden's statement in his 2022 State of the Union address that "we must hold social media platforms accountable for the national experiment they're conducting on our children for profit." The suit says the school district "brings this action to do just that."
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Seattle Public Schools Sue Social Media Giants for Youth Mental Health Crisis More

Seattle Public Schools Sue Social Media Giants for Youth Mental Health Crisis

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  • They should sue parents too. (Score:2, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward

    After all they could simply install a program like this https://f-droid.org/en/package... [f-droid.org], and simply limit the time when certain apps can be used.

    • Re:They should sue parents too. (Score:5, Interesting)

      by Opportunist ( 166417 ) on Sunday January 08, 2023 @08:34AM (#63189386)

      There is no technological solution to a social problem. You do know that kids have way, way, WAY more time at their hands than their parents and also usually know way, way, WAY more about that technology because, unlike their parents, they're interested in it.

      Also, your status on the school yard immediately catapults you from pariah to top dog if you're the geek that can thwart the parental control toy.

      How long do you think 'til everyone has figured out how to circumvent it, preferably in a way that the parents don't find out?

      And then you have a REAL problem at your hands, because now your kids don't trust you anymore and won't come to you with a social media related problem. Like, say, they sent some pics to a "friend" who turns out to be 31 instead of 13...

      • Re: They should sue parents too. (Score:5, Interesting)

        by Fons_de_spons ( 1311177 ) on Sunday January 08, 2023 @08:39AM (#63189398)
        Teacher here. When we were young, we hacked the ftp server where the school uploaded their website. These days, a lot of them struggle even with basic filemanagement. Old teachers are pretty proud that they know more about computers than the kids. Too much happens under the hood these days.

        • You're kidding, I hope? If kids don't know more than their parents about that newfangled cell-phone stuff, all is lost!

          • Re: They should sue parents too. (Score:5, Interesting)

            by quonset ( 4839537 ) on Sunday January 08, 2023 @09:26AM (#63189458)

            You're kidding, I hope? If kids don't know more than their parents about that newfangled cell-phone stuff, all is lost!

            Students don't know what files and directories are [slashdot.org]. That "phone" you speak of simply dumps files anywhere it feels like based on the shitty code it has, and kids are unable to do any basic file management as a result because they never learned.

            I work with people from just out of college to should have retired years ago. Many of the newest ones lack basic computer skills such as file management or even how to move through directories. Some don't know what a network cable is and have to be shown how to plug it in when they work in the office. When you tell them to go to the Start button, many have the deer-in-the-headlights look (this also applies to those who use Macs at home).

            Knowing how to text is one thing. Knowing how to manage your files is another, and many, many, MANY kids do not know.

            • So much for the myth that the young generation is more computer savvy than the old folks were. It seems to be as it always was: Some people can do it, and the others pay them to do it.

              • 38. Way way more tech savvy than my parents but I also think that trend is slowing or reversing. Some have never used dos or built a pc, which is becoming more and more a niche thing than it ever has been. They have never had to figure out a memory population guide or set jumpers to determine CPU clock speed. Never known multipliers, or had to lay out partitions on a disk using disk part. Things work well enough now that you can buy off the shelves.

                That being said. Kids are resourceful and will find a way

                • 38, hmm? Tell me, how easy would it be to you to build the hardware for an USB device? Nothing fancy, let's make it simple, USB 1.1. You'll get the chips, allright, but you'll have to figure out where to put them, how to get the right voltage from the USB VCC to the D+ and D- lines (hint: They're 3.3V, the VCC is 5V, don't try to run the D+/- on 5V, your computer won't like that one bit).

                  Here's the thing: I can ... mostly... do that. I'm fairly sure my dad could. Even though he has no idea what that newfang

                  • Actually, soldering leads to a USB flash drive are quite simple for me. Sure there are things that aren't, but soldering? Come on man.

                    In this field, I think I am more experienced than the average. I am actually in the process of converting a military humvee (HMMWV 1167) to a Tesla-powertrain EV. Bought one off gov-planet, and sticking in two wheels, and 232KW of batteries. So, figuring out things like power steering and power-assisted breaks has been a real challenge (HMMWVs traditionally have their bra

                    • The soldering is the easy part. But that's not what I mean. You have a USB-capable chip. Let's say, this one [microchip.com]. Now design the circuit that ends in a USB-A jack (or USB-Micro if you prefer) that I can plug into my PC without frying my USB controller.

                      I'm fairly sure most "PC savvy" people of our generation would fail at this task. My dad's problem would mostly be that the (insert expletive here) chip is too damn small for him to read the orientation notch with his old eyes.

                    • I am actually in the process of converting a military humvee (HMMWV 1167) to a Tesla-powertrain EV. Bought one off gov-planet, and sticking in two wheels, and 232KW of batteries. So, figuring out things like power steering and power-assisted breaks has been a real challenge (HMMWVs traditionally have their brakes on the differentials, not in the hubs. Some fabrication was required).

                      This sounds awesome, are you writing about it online? Maybe send a link to Hackaday... or even right here on Slashdot. I bet there are plenty of people who would be interested!

              • If you grew up during the rise of the www and personal computers I think it's a lot more true... people in their mid 30s to early 50s likely knew a lot more about computers than our parents, because we grew up with it and they didn't, and early PCs required a bit more know-how. But now we're raising the generation that grew up with smart phones and much easier to use services, so it's no longer true. They're certainly more savvy than their grandparents though.

            • That "phone" you speak of simply dumps files anywhere it feels like based on the shitty code it has, and kids are unable to do any basic file management as a result because they never learned.

              I'd offer a counterpoint here. The file management system we have is based on an old concept: the filing cabinet. You and I have used computers for 30+ years and so we have that system burnt into our nerons, but you at no point raised an important question: is traditional file management the best way?

              I would offer a counterpoint: Are kids not able to use devices? Have they lost all their stuff? Are they incapable of using the tools (phones, computers, etc) to finish their assignments? The answer to this is

              • The file management system we have is based on an old concept: the filing cabinet.

                Only insofar as using a file folder icon for directories goes. Hierarchical file systems were around at least a decade before that association was made.

                In the real world, actual folders aren't very hierarchical. You've got: filing cabinets, drawers (neither of which typically have GUI counterparts), folders, and files (in each folder). Real folders can nest a bit, but typically don't more than a couple of levels, if at all

                • Re: (Score:2)

                  by lsllll ( 830002 )
                  And of course the file cabinet is labeled "Finance", another is labeled "Payroll", and so on. And in another room in the building there are file cabinets named "Plans", "Cost Analysis". Then in the building over, in a room there are cabinets labeled "Marketing", "User Survey", and so on. Then in another city there's a campus called "Chicago" with the same setup. So file folders and cabinets are very hierarchical. They're just ad the bottom of the hierarchy.

              • Re: (Score:2)

                by Hylandr ( 813770 )

                The counter point here that is being missed is that they don't. presently everything is dumped into 'the cloud'. There's zero expectation of privacy or in some cases, even ownership of the work they are saving on whatever free service.

                I contend that everyone that cares about protecting their own intellectual property or other personal digital assets *should know hwo to save those assets locally, securely and with personal redundancy.

                Right now, th 'filing cabinet' is the best analogy unless you can think of

                • Right now, the 'filing cabinet' is the best analogy unless you can think of something better?

                  The filing cabinet might be the best analogy for you and me because we know what a filing cabinet looks like. Many young people have never SEEN a filing cabinet. Or a card catalog. Or a slide projector. Or a record player. Or a VCR. Or an analog clock. Hell, many haven't even owned a wristwatch!

                  If we want to rename the layers of a hierarchical storage system, we'll need to look around for common items that people see in their daily life.
                  A desk at home/school -- Desktop/piles/subject

            • Kids know how to use technology to entertain themselves, but that is not necessarily translating into real life work related skills. For example, our local school system dropped typing because "kids already know how to do that." I cry a little bit inside when I watch my kids type a paper for class.

              • Re: (Score:2)

                by Hylandr ( 813770 )

                Opposite side of the fence here.

                They tried teaching me that mavis bacon crap for typing. It was the most excruuciating torture I had ever had to endure. I type my way, and I am comfortable with it. I ditched those classes.

                I have beenin the IT industry for 25+ years now, and still type my own way. I am GLAD the schools ditched those classes.

                May y'all type however it pleases you, but don't force your method on others. Nobody appreciates it.

            • Uhh, I'm on the older side and my kids are very computer literate.

              They understand file management, but they don't understand why you should bother.
              The idea of carefully curated records is a silly hangover from the paper days.

              Files are either active, stored in a proper document database, or just dumped into an archive and go search if you need them.
              I am almost upset with the massive amount of time I've wasted carefully managing files.

          • > You're kidding, I hope? If kids don't know more than their parents about that newfangled cell-phone stuff, all is lost!

            Many people who built much of the Web, the large tech companies, and many a smartphone app are parents now. The "parents are clueless about computers" idea is past its prime.

        • That's the "problem", you don't have to know anything to compute any more. I enjoy it when things are made easier myself, but it's definitely led away from kids actually learning anything about the underpinnings. When I was in school, the computers booted into BASIC :)

          However, to some kids programming was just something they had to get through before they could play with application software, some kids wanted to learn to write some of their own programs, and some really took it the next level — One ki

        • Yep, yep. I was a high school tech teacher from 2000 to 2018. For the first few years I had about 25% that understood directory trees, a few more years, 10%, and by around 2010 maybe 1 kid that knew that a directory and folder are the same thing. By 2018 I gave up and left teaching because social media, common core, and idiotic state testing had destroyed everything and it's not going to improve at least in my life time.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by vlad30 ( 44644 )
          As someone who has spent nearly 40 years in IT working on breaking and enhancing security in software and systems I can tell you the whack a mole is almost exactly how it feels with social media and teenagers try blocking social media at your router they just connect to it elsewhere, put software on there phones they find a way around it. Tiktok itself even tries to route around blocks. Blocking social media apps is about as successful as blocking piracy.

          We are no match for teenagers and all their friends

    • My first reaction, too. They need to sue the parents.

  • Can I sue the school for what they did to me? (Score:4, Insightful)

    by jfdavis668 ( 1414919 ) on Sunday January 08, 2023 @08:23AM (#63189366)
    Talk about a mental health crisis. The way most schools are run is a mental health crisis all its own.

  • Can we get the same action against churches? (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Opportunist ( 166417 ) on Sunday January 08, 2023 @08:32AM (#63189378)

    They've been doing that for millennia with impunity.

    • If that was true, then why do people going to church seem to have better mental health [webmd.com]? Even if you want to argue the study isn't strong enough to show causality or such, it would be really surprising to see an effect in the opposite direction among churchgoers if they were actively harming mental health as you claim.

      Now compare this to the way that schools increase suicidality [scientificamerican.com] and note that this one is almost certainly causative. Somehow kids became less suicidal during Covid when they got away from scho

      • ... why do people going to church seem to have better mental health ...

        Because church reminds them they've got it good, that someone cares, that following the rules results in a treat (Choose two of; heaven, sanctimonious self-importance, forgiveness, ignorance and contentment). Leave that and one quickly runs into the snake-oil salesman, the cold cruel world, the selfish and self-righteous wealthy, the self-deluded megalomaniacs.

      • Well, ignorance IS bliss...

        Even though I dare say that if you really have mental issues, church is probably the last place you should try to get some help. You can't pray real problems away, that only helps with imaginary ones.

  • Oh no (Score:5, Insightful)

    by drinkypoo ( 153816 ) <drink@hyperlogos.org> on Sunday January 08, 2023 @08:34AM (#63189382) Homepage Journal

    Youth mental health is like nine cans of worms nested within one another.

    Any time kids are involved you have the immediate dichotomy of personal rights vs. personal responsibility, with what they aren't allowed to do and how parents are (at least in theory) responsible for their actions (except, school shootings, apparently.)

    Any time mental health is involved you have the dichotomy of health vs. profit, with Big Pharma poisoning the well in order to sell drugs to "solve" mental health problems, most of which have serious side effects — and despite nobody being able to identify a biological cause for the problems in the first place. Most of these drugs are literally dangerous to stop using, to boot.

    Any time schools are involved, you have even more contradictory goals, stated goals, and actions. School is supposed to prepare you for the world (and for more school) but provably doesn't, e.g. 54% of Americans read below a 6th grade level and most schools now lack basic programs that used to be taken for granted like home ec.

    And since you really can't talk about the youth mental health crisis without addressing this, most school shooters were bullied [securitymagazine.com] and most students say that the shootings are for revenge [alfred.edu]. I was bullied relentlessly in high school, having been raised by a single mother who taught me not to stand up for myself, and being a weird kid who was asthmatic and too into books. I remember being one of the few kids who found Lord of the Flies utterly plausible.

    I mention these things in this order to come to this point: Parents and schools alike are completely failing children. As a group, they are at best doing an ever-worse job of serving the various needs of young students. One of these needs is a safe learning environment in which the educational process can occur without students fearing violence, which was literally the opposite of my public school experience. This environment literally decreases learning [nih.gov] in an environment which already retards it [atutor.ca] through its very lack of attention to design [corgan.com].

    TL;DR: American schools are not designed to serve the needs of students, but to produce obedient factory workers [qz.com] of whom it must be said that even the corporate world is demanding fewer and fewer. What do you think the odds are that this fundamental failure by design is going to be sincerely addressed, as opposed to a new (or old) scapegoat being hung with the blame and nothing done to improve the situation?

    • ... an ever-worse job of serving the various needs ...

      To be fair, schools now focus more on helping a child be an individual, than teaching basic skills for a child's first job, and still, provide little instruction on being an adult. Before, typing was a specialized skill they needed to teach to only a few students. Then computers became ubiquitous and everyone needed to learn how to use a GUI. Computers are complicated devices and proper use would need to be taught over several years, like mathematics and English. It's easier to claim a child can open An

    • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

      by argStyopa ( 232550 )

      What we should do is add the complexity of confusing them with gendered stereotypes* and try to get them (secretly, hiding it from their parents which makes it practically an opiate for some teens) to change their gender and maybe, if we're lucky, convince them to sign up for irrevocable drugs or surgical "affirming surgery" that in fact just leaves them sterile, sexually joyless for the rest of their lives (at least, until they commit suicide at what, 18x that of other troubled teens?)....

      THAT will make ev

  • Especially if they can pretend to be caring. Meanwhile, poor kids are diseducated, literally made worse off for being at school.

    • Re: They'll do anything else but teach (Score:4, Interesting)

      by Fons_de_spons ( 1311177 ) on Sunday January 08, 2023 @09:08AM (#63189432)
      Teacher here. Most of us start as very caring people. You learn to keep a healthy distance the hard way. Beginners will at least burst into tears once in their first year of teaching. They work their â#2 off just to get everything prepared then to be thrown in a dysfunctional class that spends most of its time magnifying everything that is bad and of course, it is all your fault! Personally I have a mental knob. Hopeless class? Tried everything? See your stuff, keep the willing motivated, survive the lesson, throw student's out if it gets too bad. Luckily there are nice classes as well. Colleagues agree however that these are getting more rare. Explains why more and more of them are leaving the job. There is a big shortage of teachers here. An old statistic by the way shows that 50% of new teachers quit the job within 5 years. It is easy to judge.

      • One problem is you simply aren't getting the support you need to actually be effective. Instead, your organization spends money on cr*p like this. You should never have a "hopeless class". You should never have to "survive the lesson" (and if that's how you feel, imagine how your students feel!) You shouldn't have to throw students out "if it gets too bad", they should already be thrown out before they become too disruptive.

        Imagine a school administration that simply had a "no disruptions allowed" policy, a

  • Covid mind virus (Score:4, Funny)

    by flyingfsck ( 986395 ) on Sunday January 08, 2023 @08:40AM (#63189400)
    The Covid mind virus runs amok in Seattle. The school board members need 5G chip implants to recover from it.
  • Didn't the Seattle school systems shutdown for the Pandemic?
    Didn't education studies, including test scores, show that the students suffered from their shutdowns?
    Didn't medical studies, including suicide rates, show that the student suffered from their shutdowns?
    Whose to blame? Seattle schools say "Big Tech"!
    Looks and sounds like blame shifting, IMHO.
    What amount of the blame will Seattle school system accept?
    If they win this lawsuit, will the Seattle school system repay the parents (and taxpayers)

    • Didn't the Seattle school systems shutdown for the Pandemic?

      All except the special needs programs. The short buses continued to pick up kids all throughout it*. Strangely, there was no outbreak of Covid in these schools. Either among teachers or kids.

      *The alternative would have been mothers driving their autistic little brats out into the woods snd leaving them for the bears.

  • If somehow, a judge lets this lawsuit go through, I'd imagine every single school out there will be smelling blood and will quickly follow suite, all also suing every social media company they can write into the lawsuit forms.

  • Conflicted (Score:3)

    by dskoll ( 99328 ) on Sunday January 08, 2023 @11:31AM (#63189676) Homepage

    I think social media companies are evil and would *love* to see their business model destroyed. Unfortunately, I'm not sure this lawsuit (or a lawsuit strategy in general) will work. But still, I'll be watching with interest.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by vlad30 ( 44644 )
      There is nothing to lose with a law suit as much as I hate lawyers they might be able to do some good but the fine/monetary damages will have to be huge to compete with there profits and they can't be given 20 years to pay it off and the executives, past and present, should be directly liable Social media has not self regulated and even hinders any attempt to try to stop bad behaviour

  • addicted to apps? (Score:3)

    by pitch2cv ( 1473939 ) on Sunday January 08, 2023 @04:33PM (#63190292)

    There's companies that promise to do just that: to get people addicted to apps. Dopamine Labs uses neuroscience and artificial intelligence to boost retention, engagement, and revenue inside apps and software.

    The same techniques that have long been applied to get addicts off of drugs and keep them sober, but in reverse. They boast their clientele consists of the largest app makers on the planet, iow GAFAM pay their wages.

    Anyone who's ever smoked, knows how addiction works. Apps, games and websites are less and less a choice, they're designed to keep you "engaged".

    Sure, there's group pressure and FOMO. Those in their own right are hard to resist, even for adult brains. But these things are designed by experts to get people hooked. Would you wish that on your kids?

    https://www.theguardian.com/te... [theguardian.com]

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