Social Media Literacy for NY Schools, a coalition of concerned parents, teachers, administrators, and citizens, calls on Governor Hochul and the New York State Legislature to update the New York State health education curriculum to include social media literacy standards as part of the proposed state cell phone ban bill.

The curriculum should be required for health classes in grades 6 through 12. Students would receive instruction on the social, emotional, and physical effects of social media. Mandatory topics would include: information on the negative effects of social media on mental health, the spread of misinformation on social media,
how social media manipulates behavior, and strategies for self-regulating social media usage.

Incorporating social media literacy into state standards ensures that additional responsibilities are not placed on teachers, while allowing local school districts the flexibility to teach the proposed topics in a way that aligns with each school's unique needs and teaching styles

We believe this action would strengthen the proposed cellphone ban bill by teaching students why and how they form unhealthy relationships with their phones in the first place.

We need your support to ensure that all New York students have access to a social media literacy curriculum. This initiative will empower them with the knowledge and skills they need to be successful in today's digital world.