Post Author
Laura Tierney
The Social Institute
The following blog is a perspective from Laura Tierney, founder and CEO of The Social Institute.
As NC HB 959 mandates that all public schools in the state must set policies that limit communication devices in the classroom and teach social media and online safety as part of their curriculum, North Carolina schools are perfectly positioned to equip students who live and learn in our tech-fueled and social media-filled world.
By the age of 11, most students already have smartphones. By their teen years, nearly all of their peers are online daily, scrolling social media, exploring new hobbies, or even experimenting with A.I. Technology isn’t going anywhere, and it will undoubtedly impact students’ lives. We can make sure it impacts their lives positively by equipping students to navigate it with purpose, confidence, and clarity.
The challenge? Digital distractions, cyberbullying, and misinformation are all on the rise.
- 95% of teens use smartphones regularly (Pew Research Center)
- 67% of educators say their students have been misled by A.I.-generated deepfakes (Education Week)
- Online drama is spilling into classrooms and affecting learning
This isn’t just about equipping students to navigate tech and social media, it’s about equipping them to be future-ready.
From NC Roots to a National Mission
When I was 13, I got my first phone. I remember sitting through assemblies where adults wagged their fingers and told us to “stay off your phones.” It didn’t work then, and it doesn’t work now.
That experience and growing up as a digital native inspired me to found The Social Institute, headquartered here in Durham, NC. I wanted to create a positive approach that empowers and equips students, rather than scares and restricts them.
That’s why we launched #WinAtSocial, a first-of-its-kind approach that:
- Equips students with interactive lessons on living up to high standards that fuel their health, happiness, and future success
- Supports administrators with real-time insights into student experiences to strengthen school culture
- Empowers teachers with engaging PD courses and practical strategies
- Keeps families connected to the conversations happening in classrooms
The Social Institute now partners with schools across the state, the country, and even the globe to empower entire school communities with the modern life skills to impact student learning, well-being, and futures.
How Students Lead the Way
Here at The Social Institute, we believe that when students lead, everyone wins. That’s why every #WinAtSocial Lesson is co-created with students. Through the Student Ambassador Program, students share real-time feedback on everything from lesson topics to trending apps. Their voices shape the program, making it relevant, relatable, and impactful.
The results are powerful:
- Students are 7x more likely to be motivated to learn when their voices are heard
- 8x more likely to be engaged in school
- 9x more likely to feel a sense of purpose
(Source: Quaglia Institute for School Voice and Aspirations)
With students so ahead of the game when it comes to technology, they want to be spoken to, not talked down to. And that’s exactly how we design and launch #WinAtSocial—so students feel empowered, not lectured.
Classrooms see this impact firsthand. One group of students petitioned to remove sugary drinks after learning how companies market to youth. Another class unfollowed more than 500 negative influences online after a lesson about choosing role models.
This is student voice, enhanced by #WinAtSocial, in action.
Growing with Students, Not Ahead of Them
Every educator knows that what resonates with a 4th grader won’t land with a 9th grader. That’s why #WinAtSocial Lessons are developmentally appropriate by grade level.
- Elementary students learn how to treat others with kindness, make good choices, and handle situations in respectful ways, and develop foundational modern life skills.
- Middle schoolers develop strong values and make thoughtful choices as they start to navigate technology and social media, even if they don’t use apps yet.
- High schoolers strengthen real-world skills, like A.I. Literacy, time management, and college and career prep to lead with character and make future-ready decisions.
The lessons grow with students, scaffolding skills year-over-year. By the time they graduate, students are better equipped not only to navigate tech and social media but to lead with character in whatever future path they choose.
Community-wide Impact
Understanding that repetition is the mother of learning, #WinAtSocial doesn’t stop when the school day ends. With the Family Toolkit, families can huddle at home on lesson topics students are learning or even the popular apps they are engaging with.
Educators benefit, too. With turnkey lessons that take just 10–15 minutes, teachers can spark meaningful conversations without hours of prep. And professional development courses that are self-paced and timely empower educators to teach with confidence in an ever-evolving landscape.
With #WinAtSocial, students are not just building skills to help them navigate social media and tech positively. They are strengthening their relationships with their teachers, family, and peers. They are building higher levels of social awareness. They are gaining a deeper understanding of ethics and how their actions impact the world around them.
Why Schools Partner With Us
With the new cell phone policy and social media and online safety requirements, NC schools are under more pressure than ever to support student well-being while addressing the realities of social media, A.I., and device use. By partnering with The Social Institute, educators can easily:
- Teach students Social Media Literacy in ways that students engage with and respect
- Fuel engaged learning environments by proactively addressing digital distractions
- Build stronger family-school connections
- Equip students with the skills to succeed in a tech-driven future
Students don’t need more lectures about how tech is ruining their lives. They need opportunities to use it with character, creativity, and purpose. Together, we can empower the next generation to navigate social media, A.I., and devices with the character and confidence they need to thrive.
About the Author
Laura Tierney is the Founder and CEO of The Social Institute, the leader in empowering students by understanding student experiences and creator of #WinAtSocial, a gamified, peer-to-peer learning platform that equips school communities to navigate social experiences — online and offline — in positive, high-character ways. Their positive, student-led approach has been applauded by Melinda Gates on X (previously Twitter) and featured by The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, and USA Today. Laura got her first phone at age 13 and went on to become a four-time Duke All-American, Duke’s Athlete of the Decade, and a social media strategist for leading brands before founding The Social Institute.