Attorney General Josh Stein addresses social media effects on children in New Hanover County
NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — The state’s top law official was in Wilmington this afternoon to host a town hall meeting about social media use for children.
Attorney General Josh Stein spoke at the town hall.
Stein invited New Hanover County Parents, caregivers, and educators to talk about social media and the effects it can have on the well-being of children.
“We want to learn from each other,” Stein said.
Stein said he and his office have been closely monitoring reports about the impact social media has on mental health.
He said research has shown it can expose children to inappropriate content which in turn influences decisions they make about themselves and others.
“That’s what this social media town hall is all about is to hear how kids are being affected by social media and what we can do as parents and community leaders to protect our young people,” Stein said.
Stein is one of many Attorneys General that have sued Meta, which owns the two popular social media platforms Facebook and Instagram.
“In my office we’re taking Facebook to court,” Stein said. “We’re investing TikTok and other social media platforms for ‘what are they doing and what harm are they causing to America’s young.”
He said creators failed to protect children by naming the app safe and suitable for young users.
Several parents at the town hall voiced their opinion, joining in on the effort to end what Stein has named a social media crisis.
“This is not a quick fix. But what can we do locally, quickly to stop this,” one New Hanover County parent said.
Stein said that by having conversations like the one on Monday, educators and parents can come up with ways to ensure social media can help young people stay current, while also staying safe.
New Hanover County Commissioner, Bill Rivenbark, said it’s important to him to address potential problems before they take place rather than having to fix them when they occur.
