The World Is Drawing a Line on Social Media. What Does That Mean for Montana Schools?

On June 15, 2026, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stood before reporters and announced something blunt: social media is hurting kids, and the government is done waiting for tech platforms to fix it.

Britain announced it will ban children under 16 from using a range of social media apps including Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and X. The move makes the U.K. part of a growing global movement to tighten online safety for children. NPR

In a recorded video message, Starmer said: "Social media is making our children unhappy and unsafe, and as a parent, as much as a Prime Minister, I just can't let that go on anymore." NBC News

That is a strong statement from the head of government of one of the world's largest democracies. And it raises a fair question for school leaders here in Montana: what responsibility do we carry, and what tools do we have?

A Global Trend with Real Momentum

Britain is not acting in isolation. The U.K. plans to follow the same model as Australia, which last year became the first country to bar under-16s from holding social media accounts. Platforms that fail to take reasonable steps to exclude younger children could face multimillion-dollar fines. NPR

Spain, Greece, and Slovenia have also said they are working on bans after Australia became the first country in the world to block access to under-16s. France is close to passing a law as well, with lawmakers having approved a bill that would ban social media use by under-15s. aol

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The direction of travel is clear. Governments around the world are concluding that voluntary platform policies are not sufficient, and that age-based restrictions need teeth.

The Research Is Hard to Ignore

This legislative momentum is not happening in a vacuum. The evidence behind it has been building for years.

The U.S. Surgeon General released a social media advisory in 2023 noting that evidence suggests social media has the potential to harm the mental health of children and adolescents, and that frequent use could be associated with changes in parts of the brain related to emotions and learning. Johns Hopkins Medicine

A Pew Research Center study conducted in fall 2024, surveying around 1,400 U.S. teens ages 13 to 17, found that nearly half of teens believe social media has a negative impact on people their age. That figure is up sharply from 32% in 2022. Penn State

Sleep disruption is a significant concern as well. Many teens admit that using social media interferes with their sleep through late-night scrolling or responding to notifications, and poor sleep is closely linked to mood disorders, academic struggles, and a reduced ability to manage stress. Penn State

A 2025 peer-reviewed study found that the prevalence of mental health disorders among youth has been rising at an alarming rate, with conditions such as anxiety, depression, and attention-related disorders becoming increasingly common, and that excessive digital engagement during critical neurodevelopmental periods may lead to deficits in social engagement and communication skills. PubMed Central

For school counselors, teachers, and principals who work with students every day, none of this is surprising. They see it in the hallways, in the classroom, and in the volume of student mental health referrals.

What Is Happening in the U.S.?

Federal and state-level action is accelerating here at home as well.

The Kids Off Social Media Act, introduced in the U.S. Senate in early 2025, would prohibit users under age 13 from accessing social media platforms, ban the use of personalized recommendation systems for individuals under age 17, and limit the use of social media in schools. Congress.gov

At the state level, the picture is moving fast. In 2026 alone, 40 states and Puerto Rico have introduced 300 bills and resolutions addressing kids' use of social media platforms. Governing

Eight states have already enacted laws banning minors from social media or requiring parental consent. Nebraska recently passed one of the strictest measures, requiring parental approval for anyone under 18 to open accounts. California and New York have pioneered bans on addictive algorithms for minors, with Connecticut and Arkansas following suit. MultiState

Montana has not yet enacted sweeping legislation on this issue, but the conversation is coming. School districts will be asked to take a position, and being informed now is better than being reactive later.

What Schools Can Do Today

Technology policy at the school level is one of the most tangible levers available to educators, even before state or federal mandates arrive.

Here are practical steps Montana K-12 districts can take right now:

Enforce device policies consistently. Phone-free classroom policies have documented positive effects on focus and student wellbeing. If your district has a policy on paper but not in practice, this is the year to close that gap.

Filter and monitor school networks intentionally. Students accessing social platforms on school-provided Wi-Fi or devices is a controllable problem. Content filtering tools can block social media during school hours. If your current filtering setup is not doing this, it should be.

Build digital citizenship into curriculum. Research has reiterated the importance of parental involvement and educational intervention regarding social media use. It is essential for schools to prioritize digital literacy and mental health education in order to equip students with the necessary skills to engage with social media responsibly. PubMed Central

Communicate proactively with families. Parents want guidance and they will follow your lead. Send home resources. Hold a parent night. Normalize the conversation about healthy screen habits before a crisis forces the issue.

Stay ahead of policy changes. Federal and state legislation will likely impose new obligations on schools related to age verification, device restrictions, and reporting. Districts that have thought through their technology governance now will adapt more easily than those scrambling to respond.

A Word to Montana School Leaders

Running IT for schools across Montana, we see firsthand the weight that school staff carry around student wellbeing. The technology piece of this is not separate from the mental health piece. They are the same conversation.

What is happening globally is a signal. Governments representing hundreds of millions of children are concluding that the cost of inaction is too high. Montana school leaders are in a position to get ahead of this on behalf of the students and families they serve.

If your district wants help thinking through device policy, network filtering, or digital citizenship programs, K12 Montana is here for that conversation.

Sources:

• NPR: Britain will ban under-16s from social media apps (June 15, 2026) https://www.npr.org/2026/06/15/nx-s1-5858644/britain-social-media-ban
• NBC News: Britain unveils sweeping ban on social media for under-16s (June 15, 2026)
• Washington Post: Britain announces sweeping ban on social media for children under 16 (June 15, 2026)
• Al Jazeera: Britain announces sweeping social media ban for under-16s (June 15, 2026)
• U.S. Surgeon General: Social Media and Mental Health Advisory (2023)
• Pew Research Center: Teens, Social Media, and Mental Health (April 2025)
• PMC/NCBI: The Impact of Social Media and Technology on Child and Adolescent Mental Health (2025)
• Governing: States Are Increasingly Trying to Keep Kids Off Social Media (May 2026)
• MultiState: Eight States Enact Minor Social Media Bans (2026)
• U.S. Senate S.278: Kids Off Social Media Act (2025)

K12 Montana provides managed IT services exclusively to Montana K-12 school districts and nonprofits. Learn more at k12mt.com.