Students Need "Learner's Permits" for Social Media Access:
Decreasing Mental Health, Bullying, and School Shooting Risks
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Dear Colleagues,
Introduction
As many know, I do extensive expert witness work across the country—typically on high-profile federal court cases. My work cuts across, for example, all areas of K-12 school law, special education and disability rights, extreme incidents of teasing and harassment (e.g., Title IX), and even how medical errors and car accidents impact a child or adolescent’s academic and social, emotional, or behavioral progress.
Tragically, I often consult on cases involving school shootings, physical assaults, and sexual or other abuse.
My recent involvement in a shocking, unprecedented nationally-reported school shooting gave me access to the personal diary of the adolescent assailant.
The pictures and daily entries—before the event—were raw, graphic, volatile, sociopathic, and clear in the individual’s goal of (a) killing as many students and staff, (b) doing as much collateral physical and property damage, and (c) creating as much residual fear and trauma as possible.
The file included a litany of internet searches by the assailant on how to make a bomb, ways to maximize death and destruction, possible juvenile or adult jail sentences for the event, and the histories and planning strategies of the assailants at Columbine, Parkland High School, and others.
Both professionally and personally, the diary was scary to read, and the level of emotional indifference and antipathy was remarkable.
While—as with most school shooters—there was a complex web of root causes, school bullying and peer-to-peer social media victimization was explicitly cited by the assailant as one reason for the attacks.
Finally, and once again, the adolescent got access to her parents’ “locked-up” guns and ammunition for the event.
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While preventing future school shootings requires multi-faceted and multi-level strategies, and we need to continue and sustain our current approaches, we also need to consider additional, creative regulations.
Below, I am going to “braid together” a number of critical realities related to student mental health, social media, state cell phone restrictions, and the companies that own various social media platforms.
The goal is to advocate for state laws requiring students to earn “Learner’s Permits” and, eventually, “Social Media Certificates” as prerequisites to signing into any social media platform. The clear equivalent here is how adolescents are licensed to drive a car.
The Current State of Student Mental Health
Just last month, we discussed the unprecedented mental health crisis among (especially) American adolescents, and their use of AI chatbots for emotional relief and “treatment”—instead of live, trained mental health professionals.
September 6, 2025
“Students’ Mental Health Challenges: What They Say, What Schools and Adults Miss, and Why AI Isn’t the Answer”
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Indeed, relative to mental health diagnoses from childhood through adolescence:
- Over 20% of U.S. children (ages 3–17) currently live with a diagnosed mental, emotional, developmental, or behavioral condition.
- Among preschoolers (ages 3–5), nearly 8% have behavioral or conduct disorders.
- For elementary-aged children (ages 6–11), anxiety affects more than 9%, impacting school readiness and social development.
- 1 in 5 adolescents have a current mental or behavioral health diagnosis with anxiety leading the list at 16%, followed by depression (8%), and behavioral disorders (6%).
- Since 2016, anxiety diagnoses have risen over 60%, with depression diagnoses jumping more than 75%.
But diagnoses only tell part of the story:
- 42% of high school students reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness in 2021 (the last national survey of data)—a rate much higher than a decade ago.
- Reflecting widespread emotional distress, 37% of students said their mental health was poor during the previous 30 days.
- Suicide and suicide risk are major concerns: in the past year, 22% seriously considered suicide, 18% made a plan, and 10% attempted.
- Female and LGBTQ+ students consistently report the highest levels of mental health challenges, underscoring the impact of identity, belonging, and school climate.
- 6% of adolescents have a diagnosed behavior or conduct disorder, which correlates with higher rates of classroom disengagement, disciplinary incidents, and school absences.
- Bullying remains prevalent: nearly 20% of high schoolers report being bullied in person, and 16% online, affecting peer relationships and school climate.
- Trauma exposure is widespread: 40% of U.S. children have experienced at least one adverse childhood experience (ACE), and 18% have faced two or more.
- These traumatic experiences manifest in school through anxiety, depression, PTSD, and behavioral dysregulation, often disrupting students’ sense of safety and engagement.
While multiple factors contribute to these alarming trends, mounting research points to social media and smartphone use as significant corollary factors. Critically, despite being labeled "digital natives," today's adolescents are interacting with increasingly complex and psychologically manipulative social media platforms—with algorithms now driven by AI—often with no real preparation, awareness, or protection.
Indeed, the current system of unrestricted access to social media based solely on age and parental oversight has failed to protect our young people from real-time events that involve cyber-bullying and -shaming, pornography, solicitations from sexual predators, and exposure to extremist content. In too many tragic cases to list, some events result in physical-, psychological-, and self-harm. . . suicide, or death.
Thus, the time has come for a fundamental shift in how we approach adolescent access to social media platforms—one that mirrors our approach to other privileges (and potentially hazardous activities). . . an approach that requires demonstrated competency before independent use.
The Parallel: Just as we have long-recognized that driving a car requires education, supervised practice, and demonstrated competency before receiving a Permit or Permanent License, we must acknowledge that social media platforms wield enormous influence over our children’s psychological well-being, social relationships, and even physical safety.
Thus, we need a comprehensive system of state-mandated social media Learner's Permits and Certification programs that require adolescents to demonstrate digital literacy competencies before gaining access to social media platforms. This will create a sequenced system of responsibility and accountability that will protect young people while respecting their developmental needs for increasing autonomy.
The Magnitude of the Problem: Cell Phone Ownership Among Children and Adolescents
Smartphone access among American youth has reached near-universal levels, fundamentally altering the landscape of adolescent development.
According to the most-recent comprehensive data from the Pew Research Center's 2024 Teens, Social Media & Technology Survey, 96% of teenagers aged 13 through 17 report having access to a smartphone. This figure represents one of the most rapid technological adoption rates in modern history, occurring during the years when adolescent brain development is particularly vulnerable to addictive technologies and social influences.
For preadolescents aged 8 to 12, the Common Sense Media 2024 Census reveals that smartphone ownership has increased to 61%, up from 53% in 2021. Perhaps most striking is the finding that children now receive their first smartphones, on average, nearly six months younger than just three years ago—at 9.8 years old. This early access occurs well before children have developed the cognitive and emotional regulation skills needed to manage the fast-paced stimulation and psychological pressures that connectivity and social media interactions bring.
Among younger children, a 2024 study from the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop found that 48% of children aged 0 through 8 have their own tablet device, while 57% have access to a smartphone within their household. The study also revealed that children as young as 2 to 4 years old are spending an average of 3.1 hours per day on screens, establishing patterns of device dependency from the earliest stages of cognitive development.
These findings suggest that—by the time children reach adolescence and gain access to social media platforms, they have already been conditioned to the constant digital stimulation and immediate gratification built into screen-based activities.
The implications of near-universal smartphone access extend far beyond the incidence figures. Research from the Center for Technology and Behavioral Health at Dartmouth College demonstrates that smartphone ownership creates what researchers term "continuous partial attention," a state where individuals are constantly monitoring their devices for notifications and updates.
A 2024 analysis of adolescents found that they check their cellphones an average of 174 times per day—up from 150 times in 2022—with 78% of teens reporting that they feel the need to immediately respond to texts and social media notifications. This pattern of compulsive phone-checking has been linked to increased anxiety, decreased ability to focus on academic tasks, and disrupted sleep patterns. . . with sleep being crucial for healthy adolescent development.
Children and Adolescents’ Personal Social Media Accounts, and the Top Six Platforms
Adolescents’ social media use has evolved dramatically in recent years, with new platforms emerging and usage patterns shifting in response to changing cultural trends and platform features. Based on 2024 usage data, the six most prevalent social media platforms among American adolescents are YouTube (93% of teens), TikTok (73%), Instagram (64%), Snapchat (55%), Discord (42%), and BeReal (31%).
Facebook has continued its decline among teens to just 19%, while newer platforms like BeReal and Discord have gained significant traction. The rise of Discord, particularly among younger teens, represents a concerning trend as the platform's less regulated communication features and gaming-centered environment create new vulnerabilities for exploitation and exposure to inappropriate content.
Relative to the frequency and intensity of social media use, the Pew Research Center's 2024 survey reveals that 46% of teens report using at least one of the top five platforms "almost constantly," representing a dramatic increase from 35% in 2022. This pattern of near-constant engagement has profound implications for adolescent development, as social media platforms influence young people's thoughts, emotions, and behaviors throughout virtually every waking hour.
Expanding on these results, a 2024 Common Sense Media study found that teenagers spend an average of 9 hours and 12 minutes per day on various media, with social media accounting for just under 2 hours of that time—a 30% increase from 2022. Heavy users, however, are spending almost 11 hours per day on social media platforms. Moreover, the study also reported that 34% of teens sleep with their phones, and 81% check social media within 15 minutes of waking up each morning.
While most platforms maintain the official minimum age requirement of 13 years per the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), a 2024 Cyberbullying Research Center study revealed that 47% of children aged 9 through 12 have used social media platforms, with many using false birth dates to circumvent their age restrictions. The ever-popular TikTok has acknowledged that its internal data reveals that approximately 25% of its daily active users are under 14, despite its own stated age requirements.
Platform-specific adolescent-use patterns reveal important variations in how they engage in different social media environments.
- TikTok's algorithm-driven, short-form video format has proven especially engaging for young users, with a 2024 Center for Countering Digital Hate analysis showing that the platform's “recommendation algorithm” can lead users into increasingly extreme content within just 2.6 hours of initial engagement.
- Instagram's emphasis on visual content and its “Stories” features has made it particularly popular among teenage girls, who report higher rates of appearance-related anxiety and body image concerns associated with the platform.
- Discord's voice and text chat features have created new venues for grooming and exploitation, with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children reporting a 47% increase in reports involving Discord in 2024 compared to 2023.
Correlating Cell Phone Use and Mental Health: Depression, Suicide, and Poor Self-Esteem
The relationship between smartphone use, social media engagement, and adolescent mental health has become one of the most pressing public health concerns of our time, with research documenting significant correlations between heavy device use and various psychological problems.
For example:
- The 2023 Surgeon General's Advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health represents the most comprehensive official acknowledgment to date of these concerns, citing research that shows adolescents who spend more than 3 hours per day on social media face double the risk of experiencing poor mental health outcomes, including symptoms of depression and anxiety.
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- The 2024 National Institute of Mental Health analysis revealed increases in teen depression, self-harm, and emergency room visits—especially among girls—directly coinciding with documented increases in smartphone and social media adoption over the past number of years.
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- The 2024 longitudinal research by Dr. Jean Twenge in Clinical Psychological Science, analyzing mental health trends among American adolescents since 2009, revealed even stronger correlations between smartphone adoption and rising rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. This updated study found that teens who spend 5 or more hours per day on electronic devices are now 84% more likely to display risk factors for suicide compared to those spending less than one hour per day.
The study showed that these mental health declines began precisely when smartphone ownership reached 50% among American teens in 2012. The strongest correlations emerged after 2015 when social media use became nearly universal among adolescents.
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- Finally, the 2024 study in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology by Twenge and colleagues examined data from over 310,000 adolescents finding that those who spent more time on screen activities were more likely to report poor mental health outcomes, while those who spent more time on non-screen activities were less likely to report such problems.
The study noted that after 1.5 hours per day of recreational screen time, mental health outcomes significantly deteriorated.
Given (as discussed above) that the average adolescent now spends over 9 hours per day on screens, the vast majority of young people are well beyond this threshold for optimal psychological well-being.
Cell Phones and Social Media Bullying, Teasing, and Other Aggressions
Cyberbullying has emerged as one of the most serious and pervasive problems associated with adolescent social media use, representing a fundamental shift in the nature and scope of peer aggression. Unlike traditional bullying, which typically was confined to school hours and physical locations, cyberbullying follows victims into their previously-safe homes and bedrooms, and can occur 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Research from the Cyberbullying Research Center's most recent 2024 study indicates that approximately 42% of young people have been bullied online, representing a significant increase from 37% in their 2022 study. Nineteen percent admitted to bullying others online themselves.
Due to several unique characteristics of digital environments, the psychological impact of cyberbullying often exceeds that of traditional face-to-face bullying. Recent research in the Journal of Adolescent Health found that victims of cyberbullying are 2.9 times more likely to attempt suicide when compared to those who have not been harassed online.
Significantly, the apparent anonymity provided by online platforms can lead perpetrators to engage in more severe forms of aggression than they would consider in person—a phenomenon known as the "online disinhibition effect." Moreover, the permanent nature of digital communications means that hurtful messages, embarrassing photos, and other forms of cyberbullying can be preserved and shared indefinitely, causing ongoing psychological trauma for victims.
The platforms most commonly associated with cyberbullying have changed as use patterns have shifted among adolescents. According to 2024 data from the Pew Research Center:
- TikTok has become the most frequent venue for cyberbullying incidents, with 67% of teen victims reporting harassment on the platform.
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- Instagram remains problematic for relational aggression among teenage girls, with research indicating that 68% of teen girls report experiencing appearance-related bullying on the platform. The visual nature of Instagram, combined with features such as commenting and direct messaging, creates multiple avenues for harassment and exclusion.
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- Discord has emerged as a new concern, with 34% of cyberbullying incidents among middle school students now occurring on this platform, often involving group harassment in voice and text channels.
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- Finally, Snapchat presents unique challenges for identifying and addressing cyberbullying due to its disappearing message feature, which creates a false sense of privacy for perpetrators while making it difficult for parents, schools, and law enforcement to document when harassment occurs.
Research from the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center's 2024 study found that 52% of cyberbullying incidents among middle school students occurred on Snapchat, representing a significant increase from 43% in previous studies. The platform's location-sharing features have also enabled new forms of harassment, including physical tracking and stalking behaviors. Reports of GPS-enabled harassment increased by 78% between 2022 and 2024.
Schools have struggled to address cyberbullying effectively, particularly when incidents occur off-campus and outside of school hours. Legal precedents such as the Supreme Court’s Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L. case have established complex boundaries around schools' authority to discipline students for off-campus online speech. This has created confusion about schools’ jurisdiction and responsibility.
Many schools, in fact, report feeling ill-equipped to handle cyberbullying cases. According to 2024 research from the Cyberbullying Research Center, 71% of educators stated that they need additional training and resources to address online harassment effectively.
School Shootings and (Cyber-)Bullying or Harassment
The relationship between school violence, particularly school shootings, and bullying or social rejection are a critical area of concern for educators, mental health professionals, and policymakers. According to the most recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics and the FBI's 2024 analysis of active shooter incidents, approximately 81% of school shooters experienced bullying, harassment, or social rejection prior to their attacks.
However, while this correlation exists, the vast majority of students experiencing bullying do not engage in violent behavior. Nonetheless, the FBI's behavioral analysis of school shooters has identified perceived injustice and a desire for revenge as common motivating factors, with many perpetrators specifically targeting individuals or groups they blame for their social marginalization.
A separate 2024 analysis, conducted by the Secret Service's National Threat Assessment Center, examined 67 incidents of targeted school violence between 2019 and 2023, finding that 100% of attackers experienced social stressors, with 94% specifically experiencing bullying or harassment. This study revealed that the victimization occurred both in person and online in 89% of cases, with social media interactions frequently escalating conflicts that began in school settings.
In many cases, the attackers also documented their grievances and plans on social media platforms, suggesting that digital environments both amplified their sense of injustice and provided venues for expressing their violent intentions.
Beyond this, social media’s contribution to radicalizing young people toward violence has become increasingly apparent in recent school shooting cases. The 2023 shooting at Covenant School in Nashville involved a perpetrator who had documented extensive grievances on social media platforms, while the 2024 incident at Apalachee High School in Georgia involved a shooter who had been involved in online harassment and had expressed violent intentions through digital communications. Analyses of these cases reveal that social media platforms often served as echo chambers where grievances were amplified and violent solutions were normalized through (a) exposure to similar content and (b) communities that reinforced violence as a solution.
Threat assessment protocols in schools have evolved to incorporate social media monitoring, but significant challenges remain in balancing student privacy rights with safety concerns.
Research from a 2024 survey by the National Association of Secondary School Principals found that 78% of schools now monitor social media for potential threats, but only 31% have clearly defined protocols for responding to concerning online behavior. The legal and ethical complexities of monitoring students’ social media activity, combined with the technical challenges of tracking communications across multiple platforms, have created significant gaps in schools' ability to identify and respond to potential violence.
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In summary, the mental health crisis involving American adolescents has reached a breaking point that demands immediate, decisive action. With over 20% of children living with diagnosed mental health conditions, depression rates climbing 75% since 2016, and nearly half of high school students reporting persistent feelings of hopelessness, we are in the midst of a psychological epidemic.
And the correlation is undeniable: With teens’ smartphone ownership at 96%, and their almost-universal social media memberships. . . with the average teen spending nearly two hours daily on social media, while checking their phones 174 times per day, rates of depression, anxiety, suicide attempts, and cyberbullying have skyrocketed in direct parallel.
And every young person is at risk. Recent research revealed a critical threshold where teens’ mental health significantly deteriorates when they spend more than 1.5 hours daily on their devices. Yet, the average adolescent now spends over nine hours daily on different screens.
As noted earlier, the current system of unrestricted social media access based solely on age and parental supervision has catastrophically failed to protect our children from documented harms including cyberbullying, exposure to extremist content, sexual predators, and in tragic cases, self-harm and suicide.
Just as we recognized decades ago that driving requires education, supervised practice, and demonstrated competency before granting full privileges, we must now acknowledge that social media platforms wield comparable—if not greater—influence over students’ psychological well-being, social relationships, and physical safety.
One—of many—solution is clear and achievable: Establishing a comprehensive system of state-mandated Social Media Learner's Permits and Certification programs that require adolescents to demonstrate digital literacy competencies before accessing any social media platform.
This graduated system of learning, responsibility, and accountability will protect young people while respecting their developmental needs for increasing autonomy.
Prototype for a State Social Media Certification System for Adolescents
Beyond driving, there are many clear and relevant precedents for a state-required system of Social Media Learner's Permits and Certification for adolescents. Indeed, many states are already involved in legal or regulatory actions related to social media, as well as the use of cell phones in schools. While some states are also beginning to address digital literacy education, our recommendations extend many steps beyond.
Specifically:
- States’ Social Media Lawsuits over Adolescent Mental Health. The mounting evidence of social media's devastating impact on adolescent mental health has motivated over 40 states to pursue lawsuits against the major social media platform companies for their role in harming K-12 students' psychological well-being.
The largest coordinated effort began in October 2023 when 33 states joined a bipartisan lawsuit against Meta (Facebook/Instagram), alleging that the company deliberately designed addictive features targeting young users while knowingly contributing to rising rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide among adolescents.
Beyond this lawsuit, individual states have also filed separate legal actions against TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, Discord, and other platforms, with many suits expanding throughout 2024 to include the newer platforms that have gained traction among young users.
These lawsuits specifically cite the platforms' failure to protect school-age children—especially those under 13 years old—by intentionally designing algorithms that trap them into cycles of compulsive use. This has also exposed them to harmful content, cyberbullying, and group harassment, interactions that have directly impacted their sleep, academic performance, and emotional stability.
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- States’ Regulations over Cell Phone Use at School. A growing number of states have recognized the urgent need to address the negative impacts of smartphone and social media use on students' academic performance, mental health, and social development by implementing restrictions on cell phone use during school hours. As of October 2025, 34 jurisdictions (33 states plus Washington, D.C.) have taken formal steps to limit student cellphone use during instructional time.
This includes: 26 states that have enacted laws or policies requiring local school boards to restrict or ban cellphone use in classrooms; three states mandating that districts adopt some kind of cellphone policy; and four additional states and D.C. that have issued a guidance or recommendations encouraging districts to reduce cellphone use during class time.
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- State-Required Digital Literacy Education in K-12 Schools. As of 2025, several states (e.g., New Jersey, Delaware, Illinois, Texas, California, Illinois, North Carolina) have enacted laws mandating media literacy or digital citizenship instruction as part of the K–12 curriculum—and a few have connected this instruction to high school coursework or graduation requirements.
While the goal of these existing state laws is to equip students with the awareness and critical thinking skills to help them safely and effectively navigate digital spaces, most of the policies focus on curriculum inclusion, teacher training, and standards alignment—not gatekeeping access.
That said, some states—like Utah and Virginia—have passed laws regulating youth access to social media platforms, including age verification, parental consent, and time limits, but these are platform-level restrictions, not school-based certifications.
Indeed, no U.S. state requires students to pass a standalone literacy education course or exam to validate their competence to use the internet or social media.
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A State Social Media Certification System Prototype
The absence of comprehensive social media literacy certification requirements in any—much less all 50 states—represents a critical gap in protecting America’s youth that demands immediate attention. While some states have taken preliminary steps toward digital citizenship education, the current patchwork of voluntary guidelines and embedded curricular components is wholly inadequate to address the documented adolescent mental health crisis that has been linked to social media use.
The implementation of state-mandated Social Media Learner's Permits and Certification programs—complemented by the Federal oversight of social media platform companies—would fill this dangerous void. These programs would provide the systematic, evidence-based protections that our young people desperately need, while establishing both competency and accountability controls over their access to existing and future digital platforms.
A two-tiered Certification Structure is recommended.
First, access to certain (Tier I—see below) social media platforms will be restricted to students who are 15 years of age (or older) or in Grade 10, and who earn a state-issued Social Media Learner’s Permit.
To earn this Permit, they must (a) have their parents’ written permission; (b) pass a Social Literacy Education Course and state-regulated exam; (c) sign—with their parents—a Social Literacy Contract; and (d) have their parents’ take out a Social Literacy Rider on their home insurance or as included within an Umbrella insurance policy.
While the state will regulate its contents, a sample 40-hour Social Literacy Education course—which could be earned during school, after school, or as sponsored by a local library, community college, or private test center—should be developed in collaboration with educators, mental health professionals, digital literacy experts, and adolescent development specialists, and could include the following core curricular and practical skill components:
- Core Curriculum Components. Cybersecurity awareness; understanding the psychological impacts of social media use, platform manipulation techniques, and addiction; privacy settings and personal information protection protocols; recognition and reporting procedures for cyberbullying, online harassment, and human trafficking/sexual predator awareness; media literacy skills for evaluating information credibility and identifying misinformation; healthy technology use habits and evidence-based screen time management strategies; and basic understanding of algorithmic systems and social media business models.
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- Practical Skill Development. Setting healthy boundaries around technology use; recognizing and responding appropriately to cyberbullying incidents; protecting personal information and maintaining privacy online; understanding the permanence and consequences of digital communications.
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- Assessment Requirements. Minimum 80% scores on both written examinations and practical skill demonstrations.
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- Restricted Access Privileges. Access to “Tier I” social media platforms (states will specify which platforms are available) with built-in limitations and required computer/digital software monitoring, all similar to a Learner's permit’s driving restrictions.
Adolescents will need to submit their Learner’s Permit—which will validate their age and be digitally forgery-proof—and their Social Literacy Contract (or the equivalent) whenever they apply to a Tier I social media platform for an account.
The required, automated behavioral monitoring systems will be programmed to detect cyberbullying, harassment, and harmful content sharing backed up by human review teams trained in mental health crisis recognition.
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- Accountability. Certain specified and proven violations will result in a temporary suspension of privileges, while other violations will result in a permanent suspension until age 17 (or beyond). Legal violations will necessarily result in police or juvenile justice involvement, and any validated damages will involve an insurance company as relevant.
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Next, students who are 17 years of age or in Grade 12 will be allowed to earn a state-issued Social Media Certificate (required through 21 years of age).
To earn this Permit, they must (a) have their parents’ written permission; (b) pass an advanced Social Literacy Education Course and state-regulated exam; (c) sign—with their parents—a Social Literacy Contract; and (d) have their parents’ maintain or take out a Social Literacy Rider on their home insurance or as included within an Umbrella insurance policy.
For students not interested in this option, they can wait until they are 18 years old, but they still must (a) pass the Social Literacy Education Course (at the “full certificate” level) and state-regulated exam; (c) sign a Social Literacy Contract; and (c) make sure that they have Social Literacy insurance coverage.
These are one-time requirements for anyone wanting social media access until the age of 21.
The Advanced Course will build on the initial Learner’s Permit course with more sophisticated and detailed content, as well as a focus on critical thinking and decision-making skills, advanced privacy and security practices—including data protection and digital footprint management, and digital empathy skills and constructive online communication strategies.
Practical skills will be assessed through on-line Case Studies and digital experiences where candidates will need to respond, in real time, to a series of on-line simulations that involve different social media “dilemmas.”
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The Specifics:
- Assessment Requirements. Minimum 80% scores on both written examinations and practical skill demonstrations.
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- Full Access Privileges. Access to Tier I and Tier II social media platforms without restriction. Social media applicants will still need to submit their Social Literacy Certificate—which will validate their age and be digitally forgery-proof—and their Social Literacy Contract (or the equivalent) if they apply to any social media platform up to age 21.
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- Accountability. Certain specified and proven violations will result in a temporary suspension of privileges, while other violations will result in a permanent suspension until age 21 (or beyond). Legal violations will necessarily result in police involvement, and any validated damages will involve an insurance company as relevant.
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At the State level:
- States will be required to maintain a secure, confidential “Social Media Register” that has the names and identifying information of any adolescent who (a) has earned a Social Media Learner’s Permit or Certificate; and/or (b) has violated a social media regulation or law—with the specifics of the event, and the suspension or revocation information.
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- Through their State Insurance Board and/or Regulation Office, states will oversee a Digital/Social Media Insurance Program.
The Program will cover, for example, cyberbullying cases, defamation claims, intellectual property violations, and other litigation arising from K-12 students' online activities. It will provide for civil litigation damages including emotional distress awards, lost income claims by victims, and reputation rehabilitation costs, as well as mental health services for both perpetrators and victims involved in serious social media incidents.
A risk-based premium framework should be used that factors in a student’s certification level, advanced course completion, violation history, and demonstrated digital citizenship record. Reduced premiums should be awarded for clean digital records, and higher costs for violation histories—thereby creating market-driven motivation for responsible behavior.
Finally, low-income family support should be offered through state subsidies and cross-subsidization from higher-risk users. Clear guidelines ensuring timely assistance during social media-related legal or financial crises should be built-in. And, required mediation before litigation must be included.
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At the Federal level:
- The Federal government should also maintain a secure and confidential “Social Media Register” that interfaces with each state’s individual Register. This way information can be transferred—contingent on federal confidentiality and records laws for minors—seamlessly across states—especially as students and families move their home locations.
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- Additionally, the Federal government—through the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) or elsewhere—should hold social media companies fully accountable for their participation, adherence to, and supervision of all of the facets in the State Certification Program as described above.
This accountability should include incentives for compliance, as well as a continuum of sanctions or penalties for non-compliance. . . up to and including financial penalties, the loss of a company’s business license, and restricted access to the internet. This approach would be similar to the current regulatory structure governing online gambling and alcohol sales across this country.
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For Parents:
Parents (and schools) should be encouraged to begin the digital literacy education process as early as possible (not waiting until adolescence and High School). Indeed, parents must take an active role in promoting digital literacy at home.
As one example of this, we point to a new and free curriculum available through Common Sense Media. Released this past August for students in grades K through 8, the updated Digital Literacy and Well-Being Curriculum is designed to meet “the current digital and online landscape that students are challenged with today.”
The Curriculum includes:
- Nearly 150 lessons, including AI literacy, with a recommended scope and sequence for each grade.
- Family resources to reinforce responsible digital habits at home.
- Professional development resources for teachers.
- Interactive and play-based learning.
- A strong emphasis on mental health and well-being.
Summary and A Call to Action
The evidence is overwhelming and the need for action is urgent.
American adolescents are experiencing a mental health crisis of unprecedented proportions, with depression rates more than doubling since 2007, suicide attempts increasing dramatically, and anxiety disorders affecting nearly one-third of all teenagers.
The correlation between these alarming trends and the rise of smartphone and social media use among young people is undeniable, supported by rigorous research from leading institutions and acknowledged by federal health authorities. We can no longer afford to treat social media access as a simple matter of personal choice or parental discretion when the data clearly demonstrates that unrestricted access to these platforms poses significant direct and collateral risks to adolescent development, mental health, and physical safety.
This article has outlined the status, conditions, and research that scream for action. The time has come for educators, policymakers, parents, and technology companies to work together in implementing a comprehensive social media licensing system that protects young people while respecting their developmental need for increasing autonomy and digital engagement.
Just as we recognized decades ago that automobiles required regulation, education, and graduated licensing to protect both drivers and the public, we must now acknowledge that social media platforms wield comparable power over individuals and their social welfare, and that regulatory oversight with required educational preparation is needed.
We have both the knowledge and the tools necessary to create effective solutions, but we must act quickly and decisively before another generation of students experiences preventable harm. The future of American youth depends on our willingness to acknowledge that digital environments require the same careful regulation and educational preparation that we apply to other potentially dangerous activities. Protecting young people from harm is more important than preserving the current system of unrestricted platform access that has demonstrably failed to serve their best interests.
If you agree, forward this article to your state and federal government representatives, your preferred local and national media outlets, and your favorite organizations and networks.
If you like this article, put a “Hell, Yes!” in the Comments, and—if you haven’t already—subscribe so that you can receive future posts from me.
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LINK HERE: Improving Education Today: The Deep Dive | Podcast on Spotify
LINK HERE: Improving Education Today: The Deep Dive | Podcast on Apple Podcasts
LINK HERE for All Other BE Education Network Platforms: Improving Education Today: The Deep Dive | Podcast on ELEVEN More Podcasts
Twice per month, Davey and Angela summarize and analyze the “real world” implications of our Project ACHIEVE bi-monthly Blog messages—adding their unique perspectives and applications on their relevance to you and our mission to: Improve Education Today.
These Podcasts address such topics as: (a) Changing our Thinking in School Improvement; (b) How to Choose Effective School-Wide Programs and Practices; (c) Students’ Engagement, Behavioral Interactions, and Mental Health; and (d) Improving Multi-Tiered and Special Education Services.
Davey and Angela have also created a Podcast Archive for all of our 2024 Blogs (Volume 2), and the most important 2023 Blogs (Volume 2).
They will continue to add a new Podcast each time a new Project ACHIEVE Blog is published.
Many districts and schools are using the Podcasts in their Leadership Teams and/or PLCs to keep everyone abreast of new issues and research in education, and to stimulate important discussions and decisions regarding the best ways to enhance student, staff, and school outcomes.
If you would like to follow up on today’s Blog or Podcast, contact me to schedule a free one-hour consultation with me and your team.
[CLICK HERE to Set Up a Meeting with Howie]
I hope to hear from you soon.
Best,
Howie
[CLICK HERE to Set Up a Meeting with Howie]
[To listen to a synopsis and analysis of this Blog on the “Improving Education Today: The Deep Dive” podcast on the BE Education Network: CLICK HERE]
