A nationwide lawsuit filed against social media companies over the effects of social media on young people has been joined by three Berrien County school districts.
St. Joseph Public Schools, Eau Claire Public Schools, and New Buffalo Area Schools have all joined in the suit.
New Buffalo Superintendent Adam Bowen tells us in his years as an educator, he has seen what social media has done to young people, damaging their mental health and ability to learn.
“There are studies out there, research that shows that it’s impacting the way the brain is, and also the dopamine that’s released within the brain, and it’s had some serious side effects,” Bowen said. “That plays a huge factor not only in their development, but also in their learning, and also in trying to keep them engaged and on task. When those receptors in the brain aren’t getting what they need, it’s hard for us to keep them engaged and active.”
Bowen says the things social media companies are doing to damage young minds are unacceptable, and it’s the duty of educators to try to protect students.
Named in the lawsuit are Facebook owner Meta Platforms, which also owns Instagram. Other sites including TikTok and Snapchat have been added to the suit.
Bowen says New Buffalo Area Schools became part of it when he was sent some materials on the action and then presented them to the board of education.
There isn’t yet an estimate what kind of damages would be awarded to participating school districts if the suit is successful, but the funds would go to mental health programs.
