In today’s world, technology is ubiquitous and rapidly evolving. As it evolves and new challenges emerge, educators will be tasked with teaching students about healthy and responsible management of their online lives.
From late December 2023 to early January 2024, the EdWeek Research Center conducted a survey of teachers, school leaders, and district leaders to learn more about educators’ views and experiences regarding the impact of technology on students.
While many types of technology affect students, the survey research focused on one factor that is having a particularly significant impact: social media.
The survey examined the degree to which educators believe they should be responsible for helping students learn to use social media in ways that support their mental health and well-being as well as the extent to which they think schools in their communities should be responsible for monitoring student behavior on social media.
As educators grapple with the difficulties that students face due to their online interactions, they might look for support from mental health professionals. To better understand the supports that are available, the survey asked school and district leaders to share how the number of school counselors, social workers, and other mental health professionals in their schools or districts has changed since 2020 and to predict how they expect that number will change in the next two years.
The survey research for this report focused on the role of social media but also looked ahead to the emerging challenge of artificial intelligence.
