Wake County school board to join lawsuit against social media companies

Wake County's school board has decided to sue social media companies, arguing that schools have had to handle the fallout of psychological damage caused by their apps.
Posted 2/20/2024, 12:00:00 PM Updated 2/21/2024, 5:18:11 AM

WE FIND OUT BACK TO HIM.

RIGHT? QUITE THE SCENE WILL

LEAD AN EARLY REPORTING LIVE

FOR US IN ROLESVILLE.

THANK YOU.

>> NEW TONIGHT, SCHOOL LEADERS

AND WAKE COUNTY VOTED

UNANIMOUSLY TO JOIN A LAWSUIT

AGAINST FOR SOCIAL MEDIA

COMPANIES. THEY SAY THE

COMPANIES ARE TO BLAME FOR A

GROWING MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS

AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE. AND WITH

THAT WAKE COUNTY IS JOINING

FORCES WITH HUNDREDS OF OTHER

SCHOOL BOARDS ACROSS THE

COUNTRY, INCLUDING 11 IN OUR

STATE FIGHTING TO PROTECT

STUDENTS, MENTAL HEALTH.

>> WRAL'S AARON THOMAS IS

JOINING US LIVE WHERE THAT

DECISION WAS MADE TONIGHT IN

CARY PARENTS. THERE HAD A LOT

TO SAY ERRANDS.

>> THEY SURE DID. LAND ALONG

WITH SCHOOL LEADERS WHO ARGUE

THAT CONSTANT ACCESS TO SOCIAL

MEDIA AS BOTH HARMFUL AND

ADDICTING FOR AREA YOUTH.

NOW, SCHOOL LEADERS ARE HOPING

THAT JOINING THIS LAWSUIT WHEN

CURSE A SOCIAL MEDIA APPS TO

CHANGE THEIR OPERATIONS.

>> FROM LOUNGING AROUND AND

HOLD ON THE GO. SOCIAL MEDIA

IS EVERYWHERE.

>> IT'S SO OBVIOUS HOW

ADDICTIVE IT IS. AND YOU CAN

JUST SEE IT. THE TOLL THAT IT

TAKES ON THEIR DAY-TO-DAY

LIVES. THE TOLLS GOING OVER

INTO AREA SCHOOLS. A BURDEN HAS

BEEN SHIFTED.

>> TO THE SCHOOLS TO THE

TEACHERS.

>> THAT IS NOT A FAIR BURDEN.

THAT'S JANET WORE BLACK AND

ATTORNEY WORKING WITH WAKE

COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD AS IT TAKES

ON THE SOCIAL MEDIA GIANT'S AND

A LAWSUIT ALL IN FAVOR OF THE

MOTION. PLEASE SAY AYE. AYE

BOARD VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO JOIN

THE NATIONWIDE PUSH TO PROTECT

STUDENTS TO HELP THE ARGUMENT

SCHOOLS THAT HAD TO HANDLE FALL

OUT OF THE PSYCHOLOGICAL DAMAGE

CAUSED BY THEIR APPS.

>> I'M REALLY PROUD OF THE WAKE

COUNTY BOARD FOR REPRESENTING

OUR COMMUNITY BEING THE LEADER

AND SHOWING THAT THEY CARE

ABOUT OUR STUDENTS MORE THAN

THE COMPANY'S SHOW. MORE AS A

PARENT OF 2 APPLAUDED THE

DISTRICT'S DECISION. BUT

ANOTHER PARENT, MICHAEL, NOT

DOUBT SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES

MODIFIED OPERATIONS. I'M NOT

SURE THAT THE LAWSUIT IS GOING

TO CHANGE MUCH, BUT I THOUGHT

THE EFFORT TO

>> TRY TO RECOUP SOME OF THE

COSTS THAT A SOCIAL MEDIA FOR

FOR STUDENTS.

>> NOW WE ARE STILL WAITING TO

HEAR BACK FROM THOSE FOR SOCIAL

MEDIA COMPANIES THAT ARE

DEFENDANTS AND THIS FEDERAL

LAWSUIT SUIT AND 2 OF THE

FINANCIAL IMPACT, WAKE COUNTY

SCHOOLS WOULD ONLY BE

RESPONSIBLE FOR LEGAL FEES IF