---
title: Resources to Address Social Media Use for Students | Wayfinder
description: Get free resources to help students practice safe behaviors online, based on insights from the 2023 Surgeon General social media use report.
image: https://pages.withwayfinder.com/hubfs/Get%20Ahead%20of%20Social%20Media%20+%20Screentime%20in%20the%20Classroom.png
---

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# Support Students to Create Better Online Habits

## Help K-12 students navigate their digital world with Wayfinder resources and strategies

[Explore Social Media Resources](https://pages.withwayfinder.com/social-media-use-resources#social-form)

![Support Students to Create Better Online Habits. Help K-12 students navigate their digital world with free Wayfinder resources and strategies](https://pages.withwayfinder.com/hubfs/Middle%20school%20table%20students.png "Support Students to Create Better Online Habits. Help K-12 students navigate their digital world with free Wayfinder resources and strategies")

### Social Media is Negatively Impacting Our Students. Wayfinder Can Help.

US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released a [19-page report](https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/sg-youth-mental-health-social-media-advisory.pdf) in 2023 explicitly calling out the harmful outcomes of prolonged exposure to social media. With concerns now confirmed, many are wondering how we can best support students to avoid the negative impacts of social media use while still acknowledging its potential benefits.

## *95% of youth ages 13–17 report using at least one social media platform for an average of 3.5 hours a day*

![Curbing the Risks of Social Media Resource Pack New Cover](https://pages.withwayfinder.com/hubfs/Curbing%20the%20Risks%20of%20Social%20Media%20Resource%20Pack%20New%20Cover.png "Curbing the Risks of Social Media Resource Pack New Cover")

### Explore Resources for Curbing the Risk of Social Media

We've pulled together high-impact resources from our social media content to help educators and leaders better address student social media use and online habits. The downloadable includes:

- Engaging, **relevant lessons** that provide a meaningful entry point into helping students make better choices.
- Quick **activities** that can spark conversations and shifts in students' digital usage.
- Accompanying **slide decks and workbook** pages that make it easy to integrate into what you're already doing.
- Content for **elementary, middle, and high** school students.

Help your students avoid the negative fallout of social media use and take control of their digital lives! 

[Download Free Resource](https://pages.withwayfinder.com/social-media-use-resources#social-form)

### The Unsuspecting Dangers of Social Media Use

A growing body of research links the use of social media to detrimental changes to cognitive development and mental health, especially during the highly sensitive ages of 10-19.

- Persistent use of social media could lead to [distinct changes in the developing brain](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7366944/) in the amygdala and prefrontal cortex
- Every hour spent on social media correlated with a [13% increase](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9103874/) in the risk of depression
- Adolescents who spent more than 3 hours per day on social media faced [double the risk](https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.2325) of poor mental health outcomes
- Limiting or eliminating social media [decreases depressive symptoms](https://guilfordjournals.com/doi/10.1521/jscp.2018.37.10.751) and [increases perceived well-being](https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/aer.20190658)

![Learn about the Unsuspecting Dangers of Student Social Media Use in School Wayfinder Resources](https://pages.withwayfinder.com/hs-fs/hubfs/New%20Unsuspecting%20Dangers%20of%20Student%20Social%20Media%20Use%20in%20School%20Wayfinder%20Resources%20banner.png?width=780&height=761&name=New%20Unsuspecting%20Dangers%20of%20Student%20Social%20Media%20Use%20in%20School%20Wayfinder%20Resources%20banner.png "Learn about the Unsuspecting Dangers of Student Social Media Use in School Wayfinder Resources")

## Download the Social Media Resource Pack

Get free K-12 activities + lessons to use in the classroom, and learn about social media risks as outlined by the 2023 Surgeon General report. 

#### **Equipping Students to Navigate the Digital Landscape**

Instead of focusing on external limits and punitive policies forced upon students, we should work *with* them to foster the skills needed to use technology thoughtfully rather than allowing technology to use them. **The end goal:** **empowered digital citizens who are equipped with the knowledge and tools to navigate their digital lives with #DigitalDiscernment.**

 

With digital discernment skills, students will be able to:

### Find balance and discern how to use digital devices as tools

### Make informed decisions on how to spend time online

### Leverage strategies to change unhelpful digital habits

### Build genuine and healthy connections with others online

### Navigate the digital world responsibly

### Explore digital life together alongside trusted adults

![Address Social Media Issues with Curated Content from Wayfinder](https://pages.withwayfinder.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Gifs/Collections_2.gif?width=640&height=360&name=Collections_2.gif "Address Social Media Issues with Curated Content from Wayfinder")

## Address Social Media Issues with Curated Content

Wayfinder Collections are curated selections of lessons and activities designed to address the most pressing needs of today’s K-12 classrooms. Jump right in with our expertly designed Collections, or create your own!

[Explore Collections](https://www.withwayfinder.com/products/collections)

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