Waynesboro schools consider suing TikTok, Youtube, Instagram: THE AGENDA

Lyra Bordelon, Staunton News Leader
·3 min read

WAYNESBORO - The effects of social media on Waynesboro students inside and outside of the classroom has the Waynesboro School Board considering action.

The "significant harm" to students' mental health caused by social media "designed to encourage addiction and excessive use" is the stated reason for the potential lawsuit up for the board's consideration on Tuesday.

The resolution cites U.S. Surgeon General advisory on the effects social media use has on youth mental health issued last year.

“The most common question parents ask me is, ‘is social media safe for my kids’. The answer is that we don't have enough evidence to say it's safe, and in fact, there is growing evidence that social media use is associated with harm to young people’s mental health,” wrote U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. “Children are exposed to harmful content on social media, ranging from violent and sexual content, to bullying and harassment. And for too many children, social media use is compromising their sleep and valuable in-person time with family and friends. We are in the middle of a national youth mental health crisis, and I am concerned that social media is an important driver of that crisis – one that we must urgently address.”

The resolution notes that “up to 95% of youth ages 13-17 report using a social media platform, with more than a third saying they use social media ‘almost constantly.’”

If the resolution is approved on Tuesday, it would not be the first of its kind. The resolution states “over 400 school divisions nationwide have to date initiated litigation” against the companies owning Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and Youtube. Rockbridge County Public Schools is one of those districts, according to reporting from WSLS.

A similar lawsuit was also brought against Meta, the company who owns and operates Instagram and Facebook, by 33 states including Virginia, as reported by NPR.

These are the public meetings for Tuesday, Feb. 13, through Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024:

Tuesday, Feb. 13

Augusta County Electoral Board Meeting 9 a.m. The board will conduct L&A Testing. Government Center, 18 Government Center Lane in Verona.

Augusta County Planning Commission Meeting 7 p.m. Government Center, 18 Government Center Lane in Verona.

Waynesboro School Board 7 p.m. Central Office, 301 Pine Avenue, Waynesboro. The agenda is online.

Wednesday, Feb. 14

Shenandoah Valley Airport Commission, 8 a.m. General Aviation Terminal.

Augusta County Board of Supervisors Meeting 7 p.m. Government Center, 18 Government Center Lane in Verona.

Thursday, Feb. 15

Augusta County School Board work session 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Smith West Meeting Room, Augusta County Government Center, 18 Government Center Lane in Verona. The draft agenda is online.

Augusta Water 1:30 p.m. Government Center, 18 Government Center Lane in Verona.

Staunton Public Library Advisory Board 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Staunton Public Library, 1 Churchville Ave in Staunton.

Staunton Planning Commission Meeting 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Staunton City Hall, 116 W Beverley Street.

Tuesday, Feb. 20

Headwaters Soil & Water Conservation District 10 a.m. Government Center, 18 Government Center Lane in Verona.

Community Action Program Staunton-Augusta-Waynesboro 5:30 p.m. CAPSAW is focused on finding anti-poverty solutions. Augusta County Government Center, South Board Room, 18 Government Center Lane in Verona.

Waynesboro Planning Commission Meeting 7 p.m. Waynesboro City Council Chambers, 503 W. Main Street. The meeting will be viewable on the City's YouTube channel.

Cancelled

Shenandoah Valley Animal Service Center Owners' Meeting

This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Waynesboro schools consider suing TikTok, Youtube, Instagram: THE AGENDA