Social Media

Distraction or learning tool? Learn more about how social media is used by students, teachers, and school systems
The U.S. Supreme Court is seen on July 13, 2023, in Washington.
The U.S. Supreme Court on July 13, 2023, in Washington. A Tennessee student is suing his school district over his suspension for social media posts that lampooned his principal, and the student contends his discipline is inconsistent with a 2021 U.S. Supreme Court decision on when schools may punish off-campus speech.
Mariam Zuhaib/AP
Law & Courts A Student Lampooned His Principal on Instagram and Got Suspended. Now, He's Suing
The student argues his posts did not disrupt school and are protected under a Supreme Court decision.
Mark Walsh, July 19, 2023
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6 min read
This photo, taken in New York on July 6, 2023, shows Meta's new app Threads. Meta unveiled the app to rival Twitter, targeting users looking for an alternative to the social media platform owned — and frequently changed — by Elon Musk.
Meta's Threads is the newest competitor to Twitter, which some educators say has been on a “down slope” in recent months.
Richard Drew/AP
Classroom Technology What Is Threads? Here’s What Educators Think About the Newest Twitter Alternative
Meta's new competitor to Twitter launched on July 5, and many educators are already using it.
Lauraine Langreo, July 13, 2023
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6 min read
The icon for TikTok pictured in New York on Feb. 25, 2020.
The icon for TikTok pictured in New York on Feb. 25, 2020.
AP
Classroom Technology TikTok Teacher Prep: Preservice Teachers Are Getting Inspiration From the Platform
Some preservice teachers find TikTok videos more helpful than formal professional development, one researcher found.
Alyson Klein, June 26, 2023
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5 min read
South River High School Class of 2020 seniors take a group photo after decorating their school during a senior prank at the school in Edgewater, Md., on May 13, 2020.
South River High School Class of 2020 seniors take a group photo after decorating their school during a senior prank at the school in Edgewater, Md., on May 13, 2020.
Susan Walsh/AP
School & District Management From Clever Fun to Destructive Chaos: Here's How Social Media Is Intensifying Senior Pranks
Senior pranks are going viral on social media platforms, for better or worse.
Lydia McFarlane, June 22, 2023
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7 min read
Tacoma Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Joshua Garcia testifies before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing on Why Are So Many American Youth in a Mental Health Crisis? Exploring Causes and Solutions, on Capitol Hill in Washington on June 8, 2023.
Joshua Garcia, the superintendent of the Tacoma district in Washington state, testifies before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on June 8, 2023, about students' worsening mental health. Garcia highlighted the Tacoma Whole Child Initiative, through which schools shifted their focus from episodic responses in moments of crisis to a sustainable effort to support student well<ins data-user-label="Matt Stone" data-time="06/8/2023 3:23:55 PM" data-user-id="00000185-c5a3-d6ff-a38d-d7a32f6d0001" data-target-id="">-</ins>being.
Jose Luis Magana/AP
Student Well-Being & Movement What a Superintendent Told U.S. Senators About Student Mental Health
The U.S. Senate HELP committee held a hearing on the youth mental health crisis.
Libby Stanford, June 8, 2023
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6 min read
Conceptual image of a young person engaged in social media.
YoGinta/iStock/Getty
Student Well-Being & Movement The U.S. Surgeon General's Warning About Social Media and What It Means for Schools
Schools have been ringing alarm bells over social media and kids' mental health. Now their cause is getting a major boost.
Arianna Prothero, May 24, 2023
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6 min read
Miguel Cardona
Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona is pictured in downtown Washington, D.C., on April 27, 2023. He discussed teacher pay and working conditions, artificial intelligence, and more in an interview with Education Week.
Courtesy of U.S. Department of Education
Teaching Profession Q&A Teachers Need More Than Just Pay Raises, Secretary Cardona Says
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona sat down with Education Week to talk about the teaching profession, AI, and students' mental health.
Libby Stanford, May 2, 2023
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7 min read
Illustration of woman surrounded by different emojis.
iStock / Getty Images Plus
Policy & Politics Lawmakers Want to Regulate Young Social Media Users. Will It Work?
Federal and state lawmakers are proposing limits on kids' access to social media—in the name of improving mental health.
Arianna Prothero, April 30, 2023
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7 min read
Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy testifies before the Senate Finance Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, on Feb. 8, 2022, on youth mental health care.
Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy testifies before the Senate Finance Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, on Feb. 8, 2022, on youth mental health care.
Susan Walsh/AP
Student Well-Being & Movement Kids' Declining Mental Health Is the 'Crisis of Our Time,' Surgeon General Says
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called out social media as a driving force behind the surge in children’s mental health challenges.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, April 25, 2023
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6 min read
A female and male professional with open laptops and surrounded by chat bubbles and social media icons.
iStock/Getty Images Plus
Law & Courts Can School Board Members Block Parents on Social Media? Supreme Court to Decide
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear an appeal from board members who blocked 'unreasonable,' repetitious posts from parents on social media pages.
Mark Walsh, April 24, 2023
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5 min read
Image of a phone on the floor near the feat of a girl sitting on the floor.
iStock/Getty
Student Well-Being & Movement Districts Say Social Media Is Hurting Students' Mental Health. Now They're Suing
A growing number of school districts are filing lawsuits to hold social media companies accountable for teens' declining mental health.
Arianna Prothero, April 13, 2023
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6 min read
The Twitter splash page is seen on a digital device, Monday, April 25, 2022, in San Diego. Twitter is once again adding gray “official” labels to some prominent accounts, Thursday, Nov. 10. The company, in its second chaotic week after billionaire Elon Musk took over, had rolled out the labels earlier this week, only to kill them a few hours later.
Seventy percent of educators say their use of Twitter remains unchanged since Musk’s takeover, according to a survey of 1,058 teachers, principals, and district leaders conducted by the EdWeek Research Center in January and February.
Gregory Bull/AP
Classroom Technology Why Educators Have Stayed on Twitter After Elon Musk's Takeover
When controversial entrepreneur Elon Musk took over Twitter last fall, educators had to decide: Should I stay or should I go?
Alyson Klein, April 1, 2023
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2 min read
Conceptual image of a young person engaged in social media.
YoGinta/iStock/Getty
Classroom Technology What Girls Say Social Media Is Doing to Their Sleep and Mental Health
Many teen girls say they spend much more time on social media—especially TikTok—than they intend to, according to a report.
Alyson Klein, March 30, 2023
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3 min read
Supporters of TikTok hold signs during a rally to defend the app at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, March 22, 2023. The House holds a hearing Thursday, with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew about the platform's consumer privacy and data security practices and impact on kids.
Supporters of TikTok hold signs during a rally to defend the app at the Capitol in Washington on March 22, 2023. The House held a hearing the next day with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew about the platform's consumer privacy and data security practices and its impact on kids.
Jose Luis Magana/AP
Ed-Tech Policy Congress Tells TikTok CEO: The App Is Bad for Students and Privacy
TikTok spreads misinformation, endangers children’s mental health, and jeopardizes their privacy, lawmakers said.
Alyson Klein, March 23, 2023
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3 min read
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