New study adds to mounting evidence against social media giants

A recent nationalwide survey of school social workers, teachers, counselors and administrators by the Empowering Communities with Integrated Network Systems of New Jersey has lent support to Gov. Spencer Cox's ongoing feud with social media companies.

SALT LAKE CITY – The results of a recent study are fanning the flames of Gov. Spencer Cox’s ongoing feud with social media companies.

That research by ECINS – a global provider of cloud-based management systems for schools – backs up what had previously been only anecdotal evidence of the harm that social media platforms are inflicting on school-children of all ages.

The expansive survey of school social workers, teachers, counselors and administrators found that 85 percent of them agreed that student mental health challenges are worse this year.

Eighty-nine percent of respondents to the ECINS survey reported seeing a strong connection between social media use and broad declines in math and reading test scores across the United States.

That information also supports recent data from the Centers for Disease Control that found that teenagers – especially girls – reported increased mental health challenges and incidents of violence as well as suicidal thoughts and behaviors in the past year.

At Cox’s urging, the recently concluded general session of the Utah Legislature passed Senate Bill 152 (requiring Utahns to prove verify their age prior to using social media platforms) and House Bill 311 (prohibiting tech companies from using algorithms that foster social media addiction).

While both of those proposed laws seem certain to draw court challenges from 1st Amendment advocacy groups, Cox promised to follow-up on those legislative actions with a lawsuit against tech giants during a Mar. 3 late evening press conference.

He repeated that promise during another press conference on Mar. 16, predicting that social media companies that challenge the new Utah laws will “…lose in court.”

Cox said that social media companies like Tik Tok, Snapchat, Facebook and others know that their platforms have addictive qualities that both parents and teenagers believe contribute to rising levels of depression and anxiety among young people.

Gary Pettengell, the co-founder and CEO of Empowering Communities with Integrated Network Systems echoed that sentiment after the recent ECINS survey.

The findings of our State of Student Mental Health Survey are deeply concerning,” he said. “They highlight the pressing need for effective solutions to address these alarming trends in student mental health.”

Pettengell explained that the ECINS survey’s findings also align those of other academic institutions, like the Institute of Education Sciences.

The IES recently reported a 70 percent increase in students seeking mental health services since the start of the pandemic in 2020.

In addition, IES found that 80 percent of public schools “have seen stunted behavioral and socio-emotional development in their students,” providing critical context to behavioral and academic disruptions schools are experiencing.

While students are often willing to share with struggles with a trusted adult, the ECINS survey found that most school personnel feel unprepared to meet their multi-faceted needs.

It is time for a all-in approach to help school provide the support students need in these challenging times,” Pettengell added.

ECINS is a global provider of a uniquely collaborative, cloud-based student support and case management system that is dedicated to helping schools more efficiently and effectively manage mental health support for students.

The ECINS system enables school personnel to access, manage, record, report and securely share essential information about students with key stakeholders.

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