Social Media

Distraction or learning tool? Learn more about how social media is used by students, teachers, and school systems
Charlie Kirk speaks before he is shot during Turning Point's visit to Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on Sept. 10, 2025.
Charlie Kirk speaks before he is shot during Turning Point USA's visit to Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on Sept. 10, 2025. Teachers across the country have been fired or put on leave for their inflammatory social media posts about the shooting.
Tess Crowley/The Deseret News via AP
Teaching Profession Teachers Across the U.S. Get Suspended or Fired Over Posts Linked to Charlie Kirk
Teachers face discipline for social media posts following the conservative speaker's assassination.
Sarah D. Sparks, September 12, 2025
6 min read
Students wait at a bus stop outside DeWitt Clinton High School on Monday, July 14, 2025.
Students wait at a bus stop outside DeWitt Clinton High School in New York City on July 14, 2025. Teenagers are experiencing more loneliness than any other age group in the world, a new report from the World Health Organization found.
Mostafa Bassim for Education Week
Student Well-Being & Movement Q&A Teens Are the Loneliest People in the World, a New Report Finds. Why?
Rates of loneliness are higher among teens, the World Health Organization found. Is social media to blame?
Jennifer Vilcarino, August 5, 2025
5 min read
Photo collage of teenage girl using social media on cellphone.
Georgijevic / E+
Student Well-Being & Movement How Old Kids Are When They Get Their First Phone, According to a New Survey
The survey collected insights on smartphone use, social media habits, cyberbullying, and more among 11- to 13-year-olds.
3 min read
Illustration of Education Week and Bluesky logos.
F. Sheehan/Education Week
Education Follow Education Week’s K-12 Coverage on Bluesky
Education Week has joined the social media platform Bluesky.
Edér Del Prado, July 14, 2025
1 min read
Photo of teen girl using cellphone.
Georgijevic / E+
Student Well-Being & Movement The Online Behaviors Most Harmful to Kids’ Mental Health, According to a New Survey
A new survey asked 11- to 13-year-olds how they felt when they engaged in certain behaviors online.
5 min read
Make America Great Again hats are sold alongside other Trump memorabilia for the inauguration of Donald J. Trump on Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
Make America Great Again hats are sold alongside other Trump memorabilia for the inauguration of Donald J. Trump on Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C. The U.S. Supreme Court on June 30, 2025, declined to hear two cases involving political speech in public schools, including one centered on a student who alleges he was bullied and harassed by classmates and teachers after wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat.
Apolline Guillerot-Malick/Sipa via AP Images
Law & Courts Supreme Court Declines to Hear Cases on Teacher, Student Political Speech
The justices refused to take up the cases of a teacher fired over social media posts and a student who alleged harassment over his MAGA hat.
Mark Walsh, June 30, 2025
5 min read
Too much information or spam concept. Social media internet user trying to stop hoax fake news, disinformation noise.
iStock/Getty
School & District Management Online Rumors Can Tear School Communities Apart. How Leaders Are Fighting Back
AI, cellphones, and social media have complicated districts' communication strategies and have made fact-checking a crucial strategy.
Evie Blad, June 17, 2025
9 min read
This image portrays a young woman deeply engaged with her smartphone, seen through a distorted, swirling blur effect. The artistic composition highlights the concept of doomscrolling, brainrot, digital addiction, social media immersion, and the modern reliance on technology. The surreal perspective creates a sense of detachment, illustrating how screens can shape and blur reality.
E+/Getty
Student Well-Being & Movement Opinion Social Media Is Awash With Bad Health Advice. This Lesson Can Help
Why a librarian and health educator teamed up to teach students the red flags of misleading claims.
Nicole Murphy & Cynthia Sandler, May 30, 2025
4 min read
A teacher and student have opposite perspectives on cellphone use in school.
Danny Allison for Education Week
Science From Our Research Center Students Don't Think Cellphones Distract Them From Learning STEM. Teachers Disagree
New surveys of teens and teachers show how far apart the two groups are on this issue.
Arianna Prothero, May 27, 2025
4 min read
Students in Lynne Martin's 5th grade class study math using Chromebooks at Markham Elementary School in Oakland, Calif. on Sept. 5, 2019.
Students in Lynne Martin's 5th grade class study math using Chromebooks at Markham Elementary School in Oakland, Calif. on Sept. 5, 2019. The least trend affecting schools is prompting students to set their Chromebooks on fire, which can lead to damage, fines, and even criminal charges.
Paul Chinn/San Francisco Chronicle via AP
Classroom Technology Exploding Chromebooks? How to Counter the Latest TikTok Trend
The social media challenge has kids damaging school-issued devices.
Jennifer Vilcarino, May 21, 2025
4 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Teaching Opinion Students Are Regularly Exposed to Sexist Content Online. What Should Teachers Do
Andrew Tate's messaging about the "manosphere" is just one example of the dangerous messages students are receiving.
Larry Ferlazzo, May 20, 2025
5 min read
President Donald Trump, with first lady Melania Trump and others, after signing the Take It Down Act during a ceremony in the Rose Garden at the White House, May 19, 2025. The new law criminalizes the creation and sharing of non-consensual intimate imagery online, which has been a growing challenge for schools.
President Donald Trump, with first lady Melania Trump and others, after signing the Take It Down Act during a ceremony in the Rose Garden at the White House, May 19, 2025. The new law criminalizes the creation and sharing of non-consensual intimate imagery online, which has been a growing challenge for schools.
Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP
Student Well-Being & Movement Trump Cracks Down Against Explicit AI Images. What It Means for Schools
A new federal law could give schools more leverage to deal with a growing challenge of sexually explicit AI-generated images and videos.
Olina Banerji, May 19, 2025
9 min read
Conceptual image of cyberbullying.
iStock/Getty
Classroom Technology Instagram Wants Teachers to Report Cyberbullying. But How Much Will That Help?
The social media platform created a program designed to help educators report instances of potential cyberbullying.
Alyson Klein, March 31, 2025
2 min read
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