Teacher’s union says social media apps need to be reined in

Tech companies need to protect children and teens on social media apps

The American Federation of Teachers, along with Fairplay, American Psychological Association, Design it for Us, and Parents Together, issued a report warning that tech companies should increase safety and privacy for kids using social media.

The report details how social media apps are contributing to mental health problems and misbehavior in classrooms nationwide, draining time and money from teachers and school systems. Earlier this year, the U.S. surgeon general warned that social media use presents a profound risk of harm for children and is a main contributor to depression, anxiety and other mental health problems. At this point, more than 100 school districts and government entities have sued the companies behind apps such as YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram because of the associated problems. 

From the “Likes vs Learning - the Real Costs of Social Media in Schools” report:

“School districts across the country are experiencing significant burdens as they respond to the youth mental health crisis and the rising challenges presented by social media. They have had to recruit and hire additional mental health professionals, provide additional training to teachers and paraprofessionals to better support students’ mental health, and develop new mental health resources. Schools are also grappling with an increase in dangerous and disruptive behavior.

Districts report having to develop new policies and resources to address the increase in bullying and harassment by students, and directed at students, that is taking place on social media. Viral challenges are also having a traumatic impact. The “devious licks” (destroying school property) and “slap a teacher” TikTok challenges were certainly concerns for schools. The “swatting” challenge encourages students to make hoax calls to law enforcement to falsely report school shootings, creating fear and confusion among students, staff and families. These challenges are unfolding on playgrounds, school buses, in school hallways and during the extracurricular activities at school. Some challenges can even be deadly, such as the “choking game.”

All this effort to address the impact of social media on youth is diverting time and resources from instructional activities at a time when schools are desperately trying to help students recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dealing with social media-related issues detracts from the primary mission of our schools, which is to educate our children.”

The union says that teachers’ jobs have become much more difficult because kids have access to smartphones and social media apps. Teachers don’t want to police technology and don’t have time for all the disruptions.

Several states are taking matters into their own hands to put safety limits on social media used by kids, as the federal government has been slow to act. Congress has several bills introduced in 2023 to consider in regulating various aspects of social media use and there are a few that I believe must pass this year.

Read more about the teacher’s union here.

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