Over 1,000 school districts in the US sued social media companies over 'addictive' products.
By Mariella Moon May 30, 2026 7:29 am EST
P. Kijsanayothin/Getty Images The companies that settled the social media addiction lawsuit filed by the Breathitt County school district in Kentucky will pay a collective amount of around $27 million, according to Bloomberg. Some of the companies announced reaching an agreement with the plaintiff earlier this month but didn't reveal the financial details of their settlement.
Bloomberg says Meta is paying the district $9 million, more than what any of the other defendants are paying. Snap and TikTok agreed to settle for $8 million each, while YouTube negotiated a payment of a bit more than $2 million. The publication got those financial details from documents published under the state's open record laws. YouTube will also provide the district's teachers with training programs that would help them use its platform for their classes more effectively. All the companies pledged to invest in stronger safeguards for its younger userbase, as well.
Breathitt County's lawsuit is just one of the more than 1,300 complaints filed by school districts around the US, accusing the companies of creating products as addictive as cigarettes and then targeting minors. The lawsuits argue that the companies' products cause not just addiction, but also depression, anxiety, eating disorders and suicide among young users.
The Kentucky school district was originally asking for $60 million to finance its mental health programs so that it could address the harms of social media on its students. Breathitt County High School's principal said most of their time is being spent on dealing with "social media stuff," such as addressing students videoing fights in school and bullying one another online.
Breathitt County's lawsuit was supposed to be a bellwether trial, or an early test case that can determine the potential settlements and damages for all other similar cases, chosen by the plaintiffs. Its hearing was scheduled for June 12. Since the defendants have settled this case, the first actual social media addiction trial involving a school district could happen next year in February 2027. Bloomberg says the lawsuits could cost the companies $400 billion in all — Breathitt County is a small rural district, after all, and bigger ones could get larger payouts.
