HOUSTON – Houston Independent School District is the latest school district to join a class action lawsuit against social media companies for allegedly causing emotional and physical harm to students.
The lawsuit claims social media platforms are “defective, because they are designed to maximize screen time, which can encourage addictive behavior in adolescents.” School districts say social media affects students' ability to focus in school and can negatively impact their mental health.
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Last week, HISD’s board voted unanimously to move forward with joining the federal lawsuit. The platforms include TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram.
KPRC spoke to parent Karina Quesada, who has three students at HISD schools.
“I limit the amount of time that they get to spend on the phone,” said Quesada. “With the 18 year old, like I would have to physically take away his phone.”
While Quesada sees advantages of social media, for her kids she also sees dangers.
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“Social media gives you like these dopamine hits,” said Quesada.
Jackie Anderson, the president of Houston Federation of Teachers, is also a retired teacher and said she saw the consequences of social media in classrooms firsthand.
“It’s a major distractor,” said Anderson. “At the time I left the classroom, it was really becoming. A struggle to keep your children engaged, deliver instruction because every other conversation was about putting your cell phone away.”
Anderson agrees with school districts about social media platforms being addictive and said cell phone usage in schools has “gotten out of hand.”
“If they want us to deliver to instruction and that is our sole responsibility to our children delivering instruction, you have to be able to do that to a listening ear and you cannot do that if they are focusing on social media,” said Anderson.
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In a statement, a HISD spokesperson said:
“Thursday’s Board vote was a first step in seeking approval from the Attorney General office to join other districts nationwide in lawsuits alleging that social media platforms should be held accountable for their harmful impact on the educational environment.”
Recently in the greater Houston area, we’ve seen a social media challenge gone dangerous with the “door-kicking challenge.”
Last month, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office received two reports of teens kicking doors and running away from residences in the Morton Creek Ranch subdivision.
Texas homeowners are allowed to protect their property and people with deadly force. They may interpret the prank as a real threat to themselves or their family.