Social media has reshaped school culture in ways far beyond phones in classrooms. From group chats and gaming platforms to video sharing and messaging apps, online interactions now drive peer relationships, conflict, mistrust, and administrative burden that spill into schools every day. In response, many systems have defaulted to safety-driven, restrictive measures such as phone bans and compliance-based media literacy mandates, often without the resources, research, or capacity to support meaningful change. This session examines how engagement technology has cultivated a culture of fear, reactivity, and safetyism that strains staff, students, and leadership. Participants will explore how social media and device use have fundamentally altered attention, behavior, and social dynamics before students even enter school buildings, compounding challenges around learning and belonging. Designed for school and district leaders, this session uses a systems-thinking lens to move beyond checklists and punitive responses toward sustainable, community-responsive approaches. Participants will examine where schools are overinvesting in ineffective solutions, how legal and operational pressures shape decision-making, and what it means to lead with education and capacity-building rather than control. The session focuses on reshaping both online and offline school environments to restore trust, connection, and learning.
