On Monday, Oct. 19, the New Jersey School Boards Association joined Governor Mikie Sherrill as she and Secretary of Higher Education Margo Chaly announced that Rutgers University was selected through a competitive grant process and will host New Jersey’s dedicated Social Media Research Center to independently study social media’s impacts, addictive features, and emerging risks to children.
The Social Media Research Center was established pursuant to P.L.2026, c.72 as part of Governor Sherrill’s package of bills concerning kids’ online safety and youth mental health.
“Keeping our students safe is a shared responsibility, and today that responsibility reaches into the phones in their pockets,” said Dr. Timothy Purnell, Executive Director/CEO, New Jersey School Boards Association. “NJSBA looks forward to the recommendations the Social Media Research Center will make once its work is complete, and we stand ready to help local boards put them into practice. With the right tools, educators can better prepare students to use social media responsibly and safely. We applaud Governor Sherrill and the Legislature for keeping student safety at the center of our work.”
For more details, please see the official press release.
