Editor’s note: Katherine C. Rohn, Adam M. McCready, Kelly Farrell, and Ayaa Elgoharry, along with the Center for Education Policy Analysis, Research, and Evaluation (CEPARE), prepared the following brief research report (unabridged version). The full report summarizes key findings from an analysis of 45 social media and technology policies from 32 Connecticut school districts operating middle and high schools. It concludes with recommendations to help voters develop social media and technology policies that consider the current state of digital media in the lives of youth and student mental health. A summary is provided below.

Adolescent use of digital technologies has become nearly ubiquitous, with students relying on technology for learning and socializing. At the same time, reports of mental health problems (e.g., anxiety) among adolescents have increased worldwide (US Center for Disease Control, 2023; World Health Organization, 2021). There is a growing public perception that digital technology use is associated with problematic mental health outcomes among adolescents (Odgers & Jensen, 2020; Twenge et al., 2018). However, the relationship between technology use and mental health is complex, and research on the topic is actually mixed (Odgers & Jensen, 2020). The impact of social media use may vary depending on adolescents’ individual developmental capabilities, risk factors, and existing diagnoses of mental illness (APA, 2023).

Therefore, it is important that schools—where children spend most of their time outside the home—consider their role in promoting healthy social media and technology use. School districts’ policies on social media and technology use can influence school-level decision-making, curriculum implementation, and instructional practices, which directly impacts student well-being (Lenhoff et al., 2022). Unfortunately, technology and social networking platforms are evolving faster than schools are developing their policies. The original draft of Senate Bill 14, Section 4, proposed by Governor Ned Lamont earlier this year, included language to regulate student cell phone use in Connecticut public schools (Connecticut Education Association (CEA), 2024). Although this section was not included in the final bill, it reflects increasing interest in investing in technology and social media policy reforms and effective interventions in schools.

Digital technologies and social media are essential to students’ lives and learning. While concerns remain about youth social media use and their mental health, and school district policies are likely to impact student well-being, many current policies do not adequately address social media, its connection to mental health, and potential educational interventions that can help mitigate negative impacts and promote positive ones. Advances in technology have outpaced both research and school policy. The recommendations in this report provide guidance to school district leaders and others trying to navigate this rapidly changing landscape that can impact student mental well-being.

While concerns remain regarding adolescents’ social media use and their mental health, many current policies do not adequately consider social media, its link to mental health, and potential educational interventions that can help mitigate negative effects and promote positive ones. —Katherine C. Rohn, Adam M. McCready, Kelly Farrell and Ayaa Elgoharry

Key findings and recommendations

Insight 1: The guidelines made limited, vague, outdated or no references to social media, suggesting that they have not kept pace with rapid changes in young people’s digital media use.

Statement 2: Policies typically portrayed the use of technology as essential to education, while in turn telling students that using technology was a privilege they could lose entirely.

Recommendation 1: Revise and update school district policies to explicitly address the evolution of social media and technology platforms and the current role of digital media in students’ lives.

• Eliminate language that portrays access to technology as a “privilege,” as digital media is an essential part of student learning.
• Adopt stand-alone social media policies that define social media, operationalize its use, and describe the responsibilities of the school board and school administration in dealing with student social media use.

Statement 3: The guidelines promised to educate students about the safe and healthy use of digital technologies, but the concrete commitments and recommendations to achieve this goal were limited.

Recommendation 2: Include proactive guidelines on how school boards and schools educate students and adults about the safe and healthy use of technology and social media.

• Include resource commitments to enable schools to provide proactive, ongoing, differentiated and developmentally appropriate education initiatives focused on digital agency, digital citizenship and digital literacy.
• Establish commitments and guidelines for allocating resources to teach adults how to understand and promote healthy digital behaviors, as they serve as important role models for youth.

Statement 4: Student mental health was barely addressed in the policies, instead using terms such as “safe environments” or references to protecting students from harmful content and behavior (e.g. cyberbullying, pornography, or profanity) as reference points for mental health.

Recommendation 3: Redesign school districts’ technology and social media policies to focus on youth mental health.

• When formulating social media and technology policies, provide a clear definition of mental health – including mental illness and positive wellbeing.
• Provide clear examples of what constitutes “acceptable use” of social media for mental wellbeing.

Note: This CEPARE report was produced during Phase 1 of the Social Media and Digital Literacy Study with funding from the University of Connecticut. Part 2 of the Study on social media and digital competence is funded by the Center for Connecticut Education Research Collaboration (CCERC).