Nationally, student mental health concerns have risen sharply in recent years. According to the Centers for Disease Control, nearly four in ten high school students report persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness (CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 2023). Social media, academic pressure and post-pandemic stressors have all contributed to this trend.

Locally, BSD’s own student surveys from spring 2025 reveal a troubling pattern: as students grow older, their sense of belonging and self-belief declines.

These insights underscore the urgency of our initiative and the importance of targeted support.

In Beaverton School District, we deeply value the perspectives of our families. This fall, we invited parents and guardians to share their concerns about social media use and online safety through an online survey. Here’s what we heard:

• A need for stronger filtering, monitoring tools and parental controls on district-provided devices.
• Requests to limit access to social media and YouTube on district devices during the school day.
• A desire for more face-to-face interaction and reduced screen time in classrooms.
• Concerns about mental health, gaming addiction and excessive screen exposure.
• Interest in media literacy instruction that helps students think critically about online content.

We know these concerns go beyond technical fixes; they’re closely connected to student well-being, learning and development. That’s why we’re taking several steps informed directly by your feedback, including:

• Reviewing ways to further restrict our filters to eliminate non-educational content on district-provided devices.
• Forming a task force to explore shifting instructional practices so that online videos are accessed through Canvas—our learning management system—rather than directly through platforms like YouTube.
• Continuing to evaluate our media literacy curriculum to ensure it reflects current trends and student needs.
• Hosting a parent education series focused on parental controls for district devices, as well as topics such as technology addiction, gaming, cyberbullying and anxiety.
• Developing new online resources for families to support conversations about building healthy relationships with technology and social media.

Your input is guiding these efforts, and we remain committed to creating a learning environment that supports safety, wellness and meaningful connections—both online and offline.