Goal: Help Students Navigate Social Media Challenges

By Cherry Dumaual

NEW FAIRFIELD – This fall, New Fairfield Public Schools (NFPS) are inviting staff, families, and residents to take part in a district-wide Community Read of Jonathan Haidt’s bestselling book The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness. Copies of the book are available at the New Fairfield Public Library. Families can also explore related resources such as TED Talks and podcasts for different ways of engaging with the book’s ideas.

The initiative is part of the district’s ongoing wellness and strategic planning efforts. It is designed to spark conversations about how technology and social media are reshaping childhood and adolescence. Ultimately, it aims to help families, schools, and the community agree upon collective actions that will better support students as they navigate today’s social media challenges.

NFPS Assistant Superintendent Dr. Kristine Woleck explained that the NFPS Community Read builds on work started last year. The district hosted parent sessions on student anxiety, social conflict, and cellphone use. “We wanted to go beyond compliance with cellphone policy to help our students, families, and community understand the impact of technology and devices on young learners,” she said. Last year, the district also hosted Max Stossel, a national speaker on the effects of social media.

Haidt’s book, Dr. Woleck noted, expands the conversation beyond policy to a broader look at societal shifts. It also examines how those shifts affect parenting, education, and childhood experiences. “It’s a read we feel is important throughout the community, for us to engage with each other in these ideas and have conversations about them.”

She added, “What we’d like to do is encourage families to be a part of this, to have parents, guardians, read the text. We also have located TED Talks and podcasts and a variety of other ways that people can connect with the content and the ideas of this book. And we’d like to take time this fall for to encourage families to do that.”

A National Concern

The local initiative comes at a time of growing national attention on the effects of social media on youth. In May 2023, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory warning that social media use poses “a profound risk of harm” to children’s mental health. The advisory linked heavy use to higher levels of anxiety, depression, and poor sleep. It also urged policymakers, tech companies, and parents alike to take stronger steps to protect young people.

Other school districts across the country have also used The Anxious Generation as the centerpiece of community reads. Many reported positive outcomes, including more open conversations among families and practical steps to strengthen student well-being. NF district leaders hope to see similar results here.

NF Board of Education (BOE) Chair Dominic Cipollone shared an observation that many younger parents are missing the opportunity to communicate meaningfully with their kids as they spend more time on their mobile devices and social media. He noted the importance of helping families and children find balance.

The purpose of the Community Read is not to alarm but to inform. By reading together, families, staff, and students will have the opportunity to learn what research says and what it doesn’t. The program also encourages participants to share experiences across households and classrooms. Families can explore practical ideas such as family tech contracts, phone-free dinners, and more outdoor time.

Looking Ahead

Throughout the fall, schools will host discussion opportunities for staff, parents, and community members. District leaders want to encourage people to take advantage of the available resources. They will continue to promote those opportunities for discussions with NFPS that include the community at large.

By winter, district leaders plan to bring together what they’ve learned in these conversations to identify possible community-wide actions that could better support students.

The Town Tribune will update readers on discussion opportunities at NFPS this fall. Pick up a free print copy at NF Mobil, The Goodie Shoppe, Candlewood Drugs, American Pie Company, or visit www.thetowntribune.com for the paper’s free digital edition.