JACKSON TWP — After several school districts in the county received part of a settlement in a class-action lawsuit against the vape company Juul, Seneca Valley is considering signing on with another multi-district suit.

The school board is expected to vote next week on participating in a group lawsuit against Meta Platforms, Facebook Holdings, Snap, TikTok, YouTube and other social media companies.

Matt Hoffman, Seneca Valley solicitor, said the school districts contend that the algorithms used by the social media companies to maximize usage drive adolescents toward content that has an adverse effect on their mental health.

The school board in October approved a resolution “supporting additional safeguards for internet and technology applications to protect our children.”

Statistics in the resolution include claims that students who spend more than two hours per day on social media are more prone to mental health issues such as anxiety and depression and higher levels of psychological distress and suicidal thoughts.

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