Maryland school officials worry about dangers of social media ahead of new school year
BALTIMORE -- Now, more than ever, social media is an active presence in the lives of students.
Many school districts across the state have joined a growing national lawsuit to battle social media giants.
Cynthia McCabe is the superintendent of Carroll County Public Schools. She says that many of the behavioral and disciplinary issues her district deals with start on social media.
"I would really encourage parents to talk to their children about social media, the correct usage of social media, and also to just put those phones down every now and then and connect person to person," she said.
McCabe's concerns are shared by other parents in the state.
"I don't want him to be too much on the screen—no more than two or three hours," Silver Spring resident Amdou Gure said of her child. "Even the games. He doesn't stay long on the games."
Carroll County is one of many Maryland school districts that has signed on to a federal class action lawsuit blaming social media for harming young people.
WJZ spoke to district leaders in Carroll County and Cecil County back in April. They told WJZ that they believe social media is the driving force behind a mental health crisis that is plaguing students.
"What we've seen recently—the game changer—is the actual mental health impact social media is having on students during the school day when they are supposed to be learning," Cecil County Superintendent Dr. Jefferey Lawson said.
The lawsuit claims that apps have addictive algorithms and expose children to harmful messages. It also cites skyrocketing rates of depression among youth.
In May, the Surgeon General issued a new advisory about the effects that social media has had on the mental health of young people.
In that advisory, the Surgeon General addressed the question of whether social media is safe for children by noting that there is not enough evidence to say that it is safe, but there is growing evidence that social media use is associated with harm to the mental health of young people.
"Most importantly, as a superintendent, I am concerned that it affects their ability to focus on their learning," McCabe said.
