Social Media

Distraction or learning tool? Learn more about how social media is used by students, teachers, and school systems
Images from an influencer's reel.
Images courtesy of thekid.maddie
School & District Management Can Student Influencers Woo Classmates to This District?
A district hopes that student influencers can bring a more authentic voice to its marketing push.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, April 29, 2026
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5 min read
A class portrait session at a New York City middle school.
A New York City middle school holds a class portrait session on May 5, 2021. The school photo giant Lifetouch this past winter found itself swept up in viral social media rumors about an alleged connection to the financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Michael Loccisano/Getty
School & District Management Q&A How a School Photo CEO Dealt With a Jeffrey Epstein Conspiracy Theory
Lifetouch's CEO discusses the company's response to social media rumors alleging ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, April 21, 2026
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7 min read
EdWeek Toxic Mix of Social Media and AI
Taylor Callery for Education Week
Artificial Intelligence Schools Play Game of Media Literacy Catch-Up as AI Use Rises
Students are now seeing more AI-generated social media content that is problematic.
Jennifer Vilcarino, April 20, 2026
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6 min read
Young people making posts, writing social network publications. Modern media influencer, poster & blogger man and woman using mobile phones app concept.
Education Week + iStock
Ed-Tech Policy Opinion We’re Finally Holding Tech Accountable for Harming Teens. What Happens Next?
For young people, mitigating the risks of social media isn’t as simple as just logging off.
Kaya Henderson, April 8, 2026
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5 min read
A document that was included in the U.S. Department of Justice release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, photographed Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, shows a photo of Epstein on a inmate report from the Federal Bureau of Prisons .
A document included in the U.S. Department of Justice release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, shown in a Feb. 10, 2026, photograph. A social media-fueled controversy drawing a shaky connection between the sex offender and a major school photo company used by 50,000 schools has led to calls for school districts to reexamine their use of the company.
Jon Elswick/AP
School & District Management Epstein and School Photos? How a Social Media Controversy Pulled in K-12 Districts
Districts have had to respond to a social-media fueled controversy about the sex offender and financier.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, March 4, 2026
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6 min read
High school students eat lunch in the cafeteria on Dec. 5, 2025, in Spokane, Wash. While most states are banning cellphone use in school, one Connecticut district is pushing lawmakers to turn down a statewide ban.
High school students eat lunch in the cafeteria on Dec. 5, 2025, in Spokane, Wash., while looking at their phones. While most states have passed restrictions on student cellphone use in school, leaders in one Connecticut district want their state lawmakers to turn down a statewide, "bell-to-bell" ban.
Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week
Ed-Tech Policy These School Leaders Don’t Want a Statewide Cellphone Ban. Here's Why
As lawmakers consider a student cellphone ban, leaders of one district want to set their own policy.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, February 23, 2026
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3 min read
Halftone collage banner with two smartphones and mouth speaks into ear and strip with text - fake news. Halftone collage poster. Concept of fake news, disinformation or propaganda.
iStock/Getty + Education Week
Curriculum Opinion Kim Kardashian Says the Moon Landing Was Fake. There's a Lesson Here for Schools
Teachers can use popular conspiracies to help students scrutinize what they see online.
Sam Wineburg & Nadav Ziv, February 17, 2026
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5 min read
A cellphone sits on a desk at Ferris High School’s World Language Night on Dec. 3, 2025 in Spokane, WA.
A cellphone sits on a desk at Ferris High School’s World Language Night on Dec. 3, 2025 in Spokane, Wash. A new report shows adults want more protection for children when it comes to social media and AI.
Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week
Privacy & Security Q&A 'Not Meant for Children': Adults Favor Age Restrictions on Social Media, AI
A new Common Sense Media report reveals that adults want more protection for their data and the privacy of children.
Jennifer Vilcarino, February 9, 2026
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4 min read
Workers install lighting on an "X" sign atop the company headquarters, formerly known as Twitter, in downtown San Francisco, July 28, 2023. Grok is the artificial intelligence chatbot built into the social media platform X.
Workers install lighting on an "X" sign atop the company headquarters of X, a social media platform formerly known as Twitter, in San Francisco on July 28, 2023. Grok is the artificially intelligent chatbot built into the social media platform.
Noah Berger/AP
Artificial Intelligence 'Grok' Chatbot Is Bad for Kids, Review Finds
The chatbot on X suggests risky behavior, and is unsafe for teens, Common Sense Media says.
Alyson Klein, January 27, 2026
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4 min read
Three different screenshots of videos from superintendents' creative announcements for a school snow day. Clockwise from left: Montgomery County Public Schools via YouTube, Terry J. Dade via X, Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School via Facebook
Gone are the days of kids sitting in front of the TV waiting for their district's name to flash across the screen announcing a snow day. Here are some of our favorite announcements from superintendents who had fun with one of the most visible aspects of their job.
Clockwise from left: Montgomery County Public Schools via YouTube, Terry J. Dade via X, Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School via Facebook
School & District Management Five Snow Day Announcements That Broke the Internet (Almost)
Superintendents rapped, danced, and cheered for the home team's playoff success as they announced snow days.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens & Evie Blad, January 26, 2026
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2 min read
The Instagram logo is seen on a cell phone, Oct. 14, 2022, in Boston.
The Instagram logo is seen on a cell phone. New York is the third state, after California and Minnesota, to pass a law requiring social media warning labels.
Michael Dwyer/AP
States Scroll With Caution: Another State Requires Social Media Warning Labels
Backers of New York's law, including Gov. Kathy Hochul, have likened tech's addictiveness to tobacco.
Jennifer Vilcarino, January 8, 2026
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4 min read
Close up of a young woman holding a smartphone with like and love icons floating around the phone in her hands.
iStock/Getty Images Plus
Student Well-Being & Movement Download How Schools Can Help Students Moderate Their Social Media Use (DOWNLOADABLE)
Hundreds of districts have sued major social media companies over the youth mental health crisis.
Lauraine Langreo & Vanessa Solis, December 12, 2025
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1 min read
Illustration of the arm of Statue of Liberty with various speech bubbles coming out of the top of her torch
DigitalVision Vectors
Law & Courts Court Rejects Discipline of Student Whose Post Mocked George Floyd's Death
An appeals court ruled that a student's off-campus social media post is constitutionally protected.
Mark Walsh, October 31, 2025
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4 min read
The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
Luca D'Urbino for Education Week
Teaching Profession Opinion How a Middle School Teacher Became a Viral Sensation
A science educator explains how he balances being an influencer with his classroom practice.
Rick Hess, October 21, 2025
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7 min read