CHARLOTTE, N.C. — North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein made his way to Charlotte Monday, bringing together panelists and local leaders to discuss how to keep kids safe at home, at school and online.
Panelists discussed topics from substance abuse to mental health to the dangers of social media.
“Our kids are struggling, at a level that is really without precedent,” Stein said. “We are seeing it in all kinds of studies whether it is mental health depression, even suicides and we have to all take this on.”
Kids spend a lot of time on their phones these days. Stein said too much of anything can be harmful and that includes social media. He said restrictions are needed to protect kids’ mental health.
“There are all these things that kids are dealing with that we as adults did not have to face," Stein said. "We didn’t have cellphones, we didn’t have the internet. We didn’t have fentanyl, there were not guns everywhere.”
Stein added that addictions to social media are contributing to the rise in mental health struggles kids experience.
“These programs suck kids in and keep them on their apps for hours and hours -- the average high schoolers are on for on average eight hours a day," Stein said. "We need to make sure that these apps are not harming them…and the studies we are seeing are giving us real cause for concern.”
Baker Burleson is a parent advocate and was a key speaker at the event.
“There are some good things about being online, you can learn a lot and there are support groups, " Burleson said. "But for those who are prone to depression or crisis, you can definitely experience things that can be a trigger to bring that on faster,”
Health experts said when it comes to social media, less is more.
Donnie Mitchem, Director of Behavioral Health Services at Atrium Health, encourages parents to restrict certain sites or pages for their kids and to monitor the time spent in front of the screen.
Her advice is to block what hurts you and follow what makes you happy.
“Students see the good, the bad, and the hurtful,” Mitchem said. “As parents and caregivers, if we can help our children choose wisely what they follow, and what they use, it will help them be more emotionally healthy.”
Stein joined forces with over 40 attorneys general from across the country to investigate the harms of social media companies like Facebook and TikTok. He said he wants to see more protections added.
“We may want to have age verification, minimum age limits, and we want to remove harmful content… things about suicides and eating disorders taken away and keep our children isolated from that type of messaging,” Stein said.
Stein added this is more than a discussion but rather a call to action and it will take everybody working together to keep kids safe. He said protecting kids' mental health is a major factor.
Burleson’s son struggles with his mental health.
“At the time, we watched his mood and behavior just deteriorate... It is heartbreaking as a parent to see your child kind of just slip away," Burleson shared.
Burleson said he saw William withdraw from his school activities, friends, and his grades go downhill. William documented his own mental health journey in a newsletter describing his pain as intolerable and suicide as his only hope.
“His mental crisis came to a head at the end of 2021, suffering from a lot of suicidal ideation, meaning he was thinking about it,” Burleson said. “In his case, it was very clear because he came to us and asked for help.”
Burleson got his son the help he needed, and his son continues to seek treatment for his mental health.
Now state and local leaders are advocating for more investments in mental health care services for kids.
Experts said expanding access and coverage to key mental health care services means kids get the support they need at the time they need it most.
“Currently, right now, we have more kids that need help for services and mental health care than we have providers,” Mitchem said.
Burleson wants to also break the stigma surrounding mental health and normalize asking for and getting help.
“For those who suffer from a mental health crisis, it is never over," he said. "You’re never fully fixed. It is something you’re always on guard for."
Burleson said he hopes his son’s story helps other families with their own challenges with mental health to know it is okay to talk openly about them -- but he also hopes the industry gets the funding it needs.
Contact Jesse Pierre at jpierrepet@wcnc.com or follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.