Montgomery County filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday, Aug. 11, against Meta, Snap, TikTok and Google, alleging the four platforms' products fuel anxiety, depression and self-harm among the county's roughly 181,600 minors, a population that includes every student in the Lower Merion School District.

The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, makes Montgomery County the largest jurisdiction in Pennsylvania to pursue litigation against social media companies. Commissioners Jamila H. Winder, Neil Makhija and Thomas DiBello authorized the action in partnership with the county District Attorney's Office.

"When companies profit from products that contribute to a growing youth mental health crisis, we have a responsibility to act," Commissioner Makhija said in a statement announcing the lawsuit.

The county cited the 2025 Pennsylvania Youth Survey, in which all Montgomery County public schools participated, according to the county. That survey found three or more hours of daily social media use roughly doubles the risk of depression and anxiety symptoms in young people. More than one-third of teenagers nationwide report being on their phones constantly, according to Makhija.

LMSD device vote set for Aug. 17

The lawsuit lands five days before the Lower Merion School Board is scheduled to vote Monday, Aug. 17, on a new grade-by-grade technology policy that would eliminate individual devices for K-2 students and scale back screen time across all grades.

Superintendent Frank Ranelli told parents at the district's Aug. 4 policy committee meeting, "Many of you came and said, 'I don't think my kindergartener needs a one-to-one device.' I don't disagree with you."

Under the proposed policy, third and fourth graders would use shared classroom devices, fifth and sixth graders would keep assigned devices at school unless parents request otherwise, and seventh and eighth graders could opt out without penalty. High schoolers would retain devices for school-related work. The policy committee advanced the plan on a 3-1 vote, according to Broad + Liberty.

The proposal has drawn fierce opposition from the Pencils Over Pixels parent group, which has gathered more than 800 petition signatures and argues families should retain the right to opt out of district-issued devices entirely. The full board needs five votes to pass the policy.

County's broader youth mental health push

Beyond the lawsuit, Montgomery County expanded its Handle With Care program, a trauma-informed partnership between law enforcement and schools, to five districts. During the 2025-26 school year, county-supported programs provided 233 student screenings, facilitated 620 support groups and offered suicide prevention education for nearly 1,500 students.

The county also plans to open a first-of-its-kind Emergency Behavioral Health Crisis Center later in 2026, a 24/7 walk-in facility for residents experiencing mental health or substance use crises.

The Aug. 17 LMSD board meeting is the next action point for families concerned about screen time and device use in schools.