BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Bellingham Public Schools has joined a nationwide lawsuit against several major social media companies.

The district filed a short-form complaint on Aug. 4 against the parent companies of Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and others.

The suit accuses the companies of designing their platforms to maximize screen time, which plaintiffs say encourages addictive behavior among users. They claim that has resulted in emotional and physical harm, including death.

BPS is one of many school districts around Washington that have signed onto the lawsuit. District spokesperson Dana Smith tells My Bellingham Now that students have reported both in person and through surveys that social media can negatively affect their mental health and well-being.

“Recent research has found a significant correlation between adolescents’ increased use of social media and increases in anxiety, depression and psychological distress,” Smith said in an email to MBN. “We are definitely concerned about these impacts to our students’ mental health.”

The federal suit was originally filed in California in October 2022.