Social Media Addiction Lawsuits for School Districts
Nearly 2,000 school districts across the country have sued Meta (Instagram and Facebook), Google (YouTube), TikTok, and Snap, alleging that these companies deliberately designed their platforms to addict young users and left schools to absorb the consequences. Alongside lawsuits brought by state attorneys general, tribes, and families, these districts are seeking accountability and meaningful change from those responsible for the growing youth mental health crisis stemming from social media addiction.
Gibbs Mura attorneys are proud to serve in court-appointed leadership roles advancing claims against these social media companies and are preparing more than a dozen school districts for trial.
Learn the Facts
What Are the School District Lawsuits About?
The lawsuits allege that these social media companies designed their platforms to maximize the time young people spend on them, despite knowing the risks to adolescent mental health. The claims focus on safeguards the companies failed to build into their platforms, such as effective age verification, adequate parental controls, and meaningful screen time management tools. Without these protections, young users are left vulnerable to platforms they struggle to put down, fueling rising rates of anxiety, depression, and other mental health harms among students.
As a result, schools have been left to respond to a youth mental health crisis they were not prepared for, diverting resources from teaching to counseling, discipline, and crisis response. These schools now seek compensation for those costs.
Latest News About the School District Lawsuits
The next school district trials are set for February 2027. The court has scheduled bellwether trials for the Tucson Unified School District and Charleston County School District, with jury selection set to begin February 3, 2027, in Oakland, California.
The first school district case resolved days before trial. In May 2026, Breathitt County Schools, the first school district scheduled for trial, reached settlements with Meta, Google, Snap, and TikTok totaling approximately $27 million.
Court clears school district claims for trial. In February and March 2026, the court largely denied the defendants’ efforts to exclude the school districts’ expert witnesses and denied summary judgment on Breathitt County’s claims, allowing the case to proceed to trial.
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Can My School District Still File a Claim?
Many school districts are still evaluating whether to join the litigation. Gibbs Mura represents districts of all sizes and can help your district assess its options. Fill out our contact form for a free consultation.
Do I or My Child Have a Social Media Addiction Claim Against a Company like TikTok or Meta?
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Do I or My Child Have a Social Media Addiction Claim Against a Company like TikTok or Meta?
No. Our case is not a class action, but instead is a “mass tort.” In a mass tort, each person’s claim is an individual case. However, we expect that the case will be coordinated with the cases of other individuals filing similar lawsuits against Southern California Edison before one judge. This means that you will need to hire a lawyer to file a lawsuit to pursue your legal claims. Additionally, you will get to decide for yourself to accept what Southern California Edison offers in settlement or instead proceed to trial and let a jury decide the amount you should be paid.
Gibbs Mura Leadership in the Social Media Addiction Litigation
The court has appointed Gibbs Mura partners Andre Mura and Michael Weinkowitz to the Plaintiffs’ Leadership Committee. They serve as Co-Chairs of the TikTok Liability Team, which leads the cases against TikTok on behalf of all plaintiffs.
Michael Weinkowitz has also been appointed Co-Chair of the School District Committee, which directs the litigation strategy for school district plaintiffs nationwide.
