Why We Believe Children Should Stay Off Social Media

Why We Believe Children Should Stay Off Social Media

Protecting Healthy Development and Preserving Childhood at WNS

At WNS, we believe deeply in letting children enjoy childhood a little longer. That’s not just a philosophical stance—it’s a science-backed, developmentally informed choice. Recent conversations with our rising 6th grade families and our 4th and 5th grade students reaffirmed the urgency of this commitment: the risks of early exposure to social media, group chats, and socially-connected online games are too significant to ignore.

Where once we worried about too much screen time, we are now seeing powerful and troubling evidence from researchers, psychologists, and neuroscientists. The latest studies show that unsupervised engagement with social media and socially connected digital content can do real harm to a child’s developing brain—impacting everything from emotional regulation to cognitive growth.

In response, we’ve updated our Social Media Policy to reflect what we now know:

"No WNS student should be engaged in social media activity or play online games with a connection to any social media app or chat while at school or home on any device (smartphone, iPad/tablet, or computer)."

This isn’t about policing homes—it’s about protecting our shared values and keeping our school community safe, kind, and developmentally appropriate for children. The evidence behind this policy is strong, including research from the American Psychological Association and the National Academy of Sciences. Here’s what they’ve found:

• FOMO (Fear of Missing Out): Children feel stress and anxiety when they think they’re missing out on peer activities, even when they’re not actually being excluded.

• Dopamine Overload: Social media apps and online games trigger a dopamine response with every “like,” badge, or notification. Over time, this can build an unhealthy dependency and mimic addiction patterns.

• Loss of Sleep: Notifications and gaming rewards often extend screen time into the late hours, disrupting essential sleep patterns and displacing healthier activities.

• Stunted Brain Development: Social media use activates the midbrain’s reward system while bypassing the neocortex—the part of the brain responsible for higher-order thinking, emotional regulation, executive function, creativity, and more. Some studies suggest this may slow the neocortex’s development.

These are risks we simply cannot afford to take with our children’s futures.

We know that ultimately, families make individual decisions at home, and we respect those choices. But we ask that families who choose a different path do so with full awareness of the impact and take firm steps to prevent those choices from spilling over into the school environment.

To clarify, our policy does allow for the following:

• Playing age-appropriate online games that have no chat or social media component, or where those features are disabled by parental controls.

• Playdates where students play games together without outside social connections.

• Children using social media under direct supervision through a parent or caregiver’s account.

• Viewing curated content like YouTube Kids or pre-approved videos with a parent.

We recently shared these ideas directly with our 4th and 5th grade students. They asked thoughtful questions and were genuinely curious about how social media affects them—and how they can stay safe. We encourage families to continue those conversations at home. For a powerful look at the broader picture, we recommend Jonathan Haidt’s new book, The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness.

Together, let’s help our children grow up slower, safer, and stronger.

Let’s say no to social media until at least age 16.