Press release from Attorney General Josh Stein
Attorney General Josh Stein is hosting a social media town hall in partnership with Buncombe County Schools and Asheville City Schools tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. to speak to with parents, teachers, caregivers, and local leaders on how we can better protect our kids online.
Who: Attorney General Josh Stein
What: Social Media Town Hall
When: Tuesday, February 27, 2024
12:30 p.m.Where: Buncombe County Board of Education
175 Bingham Road,
Asheville, NC 28806Why: Youth online safety is a top priority for Attorney General Stein, especially as middle school students spend about five and a half hours and high school students spend on average eight and a half hours online a day. Research has linked the increased amount of time on social media platforms to mental health damage and increased risk of self-harm and suicide. Social media can also expose children to content that depicts abuse and disturbing sexual images, which can warp their understanding of healthy and safe relationships. Last year, Attorney General Stein and 41 other bipartisan attorneys general sued Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, for allegedly designing their social media platforms to hook children and teenagers and deceiving the public by claiming that these platforms were safe and suitable for young users. He is also investigating TikTok.
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