Last week, Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued Executive Order 43, Empowering and Supporting Parents to Protect Their Children from Addictive Social Media & Establishment of the Reclaiming Childhood Task Force, to tackle a critical aspect of Virginia’s youth mental health crisis, the unrestricted use of cell phones and addictive social media platforms.
“Virginia and the nation’s children are facing a youth mental health crisis driven by the effects of unrestricted cell phone use and addictive social media platforms. The scope of this challenge is going to require all of us, private sector, non-profit organizations and government can support parents as they work to improve their children’s mental health,” said Youngkin. “Executive Order 43 will empower parents with the tools they need to protect their children and sets the stage for a statewide response to reclaim childhood and ensure the next generation can thrive.”
The Executive Order mobilizes state agencies to provide resources for parents, educators, and healthcare providers to combat the negative effects of excessive social media use. It includes developing a “Social Media and Mental Health Toolkit,” a partnership with health providers to emphasize prevention strategies, and regional training for behavioral health professionals.
The Reclaiming Childhood Task Force will convene parents, educators, mental health experts, faith leaders, public safety officials, private sector technology experts, and community leaders to identify actionable solutions to improve youth mental health outcomes. It will provide recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly and build upon the efforts from Executive Order 33, which introduced Cell Phone-Free Education in Virginia’s K-12 public schools.
“Government cannot be the sole solution to this social media crisis, but our schools are on the front lines of supporting students’ mental health and well-being,” said Secretary of Education Aimee Guidera. “Executive Order 43 directs our state agencies to provide research, tools, and resources that can support educators and parents as they create healthy, nurturing environments where students can focus on learning and growth.”
