‘It’s so hard to get off your phone’: Students confront negative effects of social media use

TEENAGERS ARE USING SOCIAL MEDIA so much that school districts across Contra Costa County, such as the San Ramon Valley Unified School District, the West Contra Costa Unified School District, and the Mt. Diablo Unified School District, have recently implemented strict cellphone policies, requiring students to put their phones in pouches during class time.

The growth of social media is well-documented. Statista, a global data and intelligence portal with around 1,450 professionals, found that since 2017, social media has been on the rise, reaching its peak usage of 5.42 billion people worldwide in 2025, and it’s expected to continue rising.