Nationwide impacts

In New Jersey, 14-year-old Adriana Kuch died by suicide in February after she was attacked at her high school and a video was posted on social media. Four teenagers have been charged in connection with the attack and the school district superintendent has resigned.

Nationwide, a growing number of school districts — including in Seattle; San Mateo County, California; and Chatham, New Jersey — have sued social media platforms, alleging they’ve had harmful effects on student mental health.

In response to a Las Vegas Reviewjournal inquiry about whether it had filed any lawsuits against social media platforms, the Clark County School District said it was reviewing all of its options.

Utah recently enacted a new law, which goes into effect next year, that requires juveniles to have parental consent to use social media sites. The legislation also requires age verification of Utah users, and it prohibits those younger than 18 from using social media platforms during overnight hours.

Members of Nevada’s congressional delegation — Reps. Mark Amodei, Steven Horsford, Susie Lee and Dina Titus, and Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen — did not respond to requests for comment about the social media pages. Assemblywoman Shannon Bilbray-axelrod and state Sen. Roberta Lange, who chair the Nevada Legislature’s committees on education, also could not be reached for comment.

If you’re thinking about suicide, or are worried about a friend or loved one, help is available 24/7 by calling or texting the Lifeline network at 988. Live chat is available at 988lifeline.org.