Schools should consider taking teen phones during the day to curb social media addiction, Stein says

North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein is encouraging schools to consider taking away smartphones from students during the school day to try to curb social media addiction.

Stein and the Wake County school system are among the groups who've joined federal class-action lawsuits accusing social media companies of creating a mental health crisis and exploiting young people for financial gain.

Stein was joined by Wake leaders at a town hall Monday at Athens Drive High School in Raleigh to talk about protecting students from social media addiction. Stein urged Wake County to consider strategies other North Carolina school districts are using such as taking away students' smartphones during the school day.

"When I talk about taking phones away from kids at the start of the day, it's not to take away their phones so they don't get it back," Stein said to applause from the audience. "There is an an appropriate time to do social media and during the school day is not that time."

Stein said that he expected to hear that students were in an uproar in the schools that took away their phones. Instead, Stein said leaders at those schools told him students liked it because they knew no one else was online so they weren't missing anything.

The schools also reported that students were now paying much more attention to the teacher instead of using their phones to go on social media, he said.

Will Wake take away students' phones?

"Taking a phone away during the school day provides balance," said Shinica Thomas, chair of the Wake County Board of Commissioners. "You have the opportunity later to get on social media."

Wake school leaders said taking away smartphones is something they may discuss.

Individual Wake schools have policies restricting smartphone use, according to Lisa Luten, a district spokesperson. She said some teachers have students place their phones in a lockbox during class.

Other Wake teachers have students place the phones in a sleeve during class.

Students question Stein

Stein was met with skepticism from some Athens Drive High students during the question and answer portion of the town hall.

"To tell teens not to use social media is extremely unrealistic," said Liz Tomblin, an Athens Drive High junior.

James Cochran, an Athens Drive freshman, said taking away phones from students at school won't solve the problem. He asked Stein what the plan would be to get social media companies to stop using the algorithms that are blamed with addicting young people to stay online.

"How can we change the algorithms in the future to give kids what they want, give kids what they need, but also make it more effective so a kid can use these types of technology without having to worry about seeing something about them posted online?" Cochran asked Stein.

Stein answered that he's not trying to take social media away from high schoolers.

"It's part of life, so we're not trying to deny reality and live in the land of the 19th Century," Stein continued. "The question is do we do it so that it's not hurtful to young brains which are still in development, which are still being shaped. The neurological pathways are still being developed."

Stein said it's up to the social media companies to protect young people by changing their algorithms.

North Carolina is among 42 states, who have filed litigation against Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, the Charlotte Observer previously reported. Stein is also investigating TikTok.

Social media 'attack on our children'

Last month, the Wake County school board voted to join a lawsuit against the owners of Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube.

"It is an attack upon our children," said school board member Cheryl Caulfield. "It is an attack on what we're facing as parents and as community members."

School board chair Chris Heagarty said the district needed to act, citing incidents such as:

Racist social media comments on bogus online sites linked to Broughton High School.

Social media accounts glamorizing student fights at schools, like at Leesville Road High.

Bomb threats and social media threats made against schools.

TikTok challenges encouraging students to destroy school property and hit teachers.

Students were recording the fight and fatal stabbing of a Southeast Raleigh High student on campus in November. The school has said multiple students were disciplined as a result of the fatal brawl.

"We have seen a culture develop where our law enforcement officers and our teachers cannot intervene in situations where students' lives are at stake because they can't get through rings of teachers all gathered around with their cameras trying to record these incidents of violence, glamorizing it, promoting it," Heagarty said. "This has to change."

Stein says schools need more counselors

The town hall took place against the backdrop of this year's race for governor.

Stein is the Democratic nominee for governor. He'll run against Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, the Republican nominee for governor.

Stein accused the Republican-controlled state legislature of "woefully underfunding" positions for support personnel who could help schools deal with mental health issues.

North Carolina public schools don't meet the nationally recommended ratios of school counselors, school nurses, school psychologists and school social workers, the News & Observer previously reported.

If there were enough counselors, Stein said teachers wouldn't have to take valuable class time helping students who are having a mental health crisis.

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