Dear EMCSD Community,
The health and well-being of our students is always a top priority at El Monte City School District. Student mental health has become a growing focus nationwide in schools, and we proudly advocate for increased mental health services for our students. Recently, the focus has shifted to concerns about the negative effects of social media on student mental health.
There are benefits of social media, especially as a gathering space allowing millions of people to connect and bond. Our district actively uses social media to give you insight into the amazing work being done throughout EMCSD and to provide resources.
However, there needs to be more effort on behalf of social media companies to protect and properly serve their youngest users. Unfortunately, the same platforms that connect us all could have damaging effects on the mental health of millions of youth. The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Children's Hospital Association have all declared children and adolescent mental health a national emergency, citing research confirming social media is playing a major role in causing mental health problems in youth and that excessive and problematic use of social media is harmful to children’s mental, behavioral, and emotional health.
Social media companies have the ability to make their platforms safer for children and this is why we have officially joined school districts nationwide in a class action lawsuit against major social media platforms such as Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
This year, we are continuing to strengthen relationships across our school communities. We completed our First 10-day plan that included a digital citizenship component for all grade levels. We successfully trained and launched our new Say Something Anonymous Reporting System for our middle schoolers so they can report any challenges they or their peers may be facing.
Help us continue this important work at home with your students by encouraging healthy online and social media habits. This includes:
If your student has a social media account, advise them to remain private and not accept follower requests or messages from strangers.
Monitoring your student's social media use and checking their messages, likes, and saved videos. You can reference these parent guides for TikTok, Instagram, and SnapChat.
Talk to your student about online privacy and safety
Utilize other parent resources from our Digital Citizenship curriculum partners at Common Sense
Practice Healthy Screen Time - see our Healthy Habit for Screen Time video here.
Continue utilizing our Second Step resources at home with your students: TK & Kinder, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, and 8th Grade
It takes all of us to ensure the safety and well-being of our students. If you have any questions about mental health resources for your student(s), do not hesitate to contact your school.
Thank you for your continued partnership,
Dr. Maribel Garcia
Superintendent, El Monte City School District
