LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — This week, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders joined Secretary of Education Jacob Oliva in inviting Arkansas School districts to join her administration's mental health pilot program.
A letter was sent to superintendents in the state where it described how the program would work to address the symptoms of youth mental illness and one of its largest causes: social media and screen addiction.
“The Natural State is not unique; youth depression, anxiety, and isolation have risen across the country. But we do have a unique opportunity to address this crisis in a collaborative way,” they wrote. “We are excited to announce a pilot program focused on two key priorities: restricting in-school phone use and mental healthcare.”
The creation of the pilot program would give funding to all secondary schools that apply to provide students with pouches where they can store their phones during the school day, in hopes of reducing screen addiction and social media use.
The program would also provide funding for telehealth mental health services and would provide support in finding mental health providers and connecting families, students, and school employees to substance abuse care, mental and behavioral healthcare, social services, and navigating matters involving insurance.
Lesley Landry, a concerned Arkansas, parent said that she's not opposed to helping our state's mental health crisis but also said she's worried about certain situations.
"My children take their phones to school to help with any emergencies. or my son has an extreme peanut allergy, and he needs to be able to reach out to me. He also has an extreme fear of school shootings and if something were to happen, it gives him peace of mind that he could reach out to me directly if something horrible, God forbid, happened," Landry said.
On Tuesday, Governor Sanders met with several Arkansas superintendents to discuss student mental health and social media.
Landry said she hopes parents are included in that process as well.
"Because what it sounds like they're trying to do is legislate parenting, and you can't really do that. So let's talk to the people who are in it. every day," she added.
Landry also explained how she's concerned with how this will be effective in schools when this new generation uses technology in their everyday lesson plans.
"I love the idea of cutting screen time, but, you know, they use Chromebooks and iPads in the school day, so we already have screen time built into the school day, and then my children take their phones to school to help with any emergencies," Landry said.
American teens spend an average of almost five hours a day on social media, typically on their phones and oftentimes while in school.
So now, the Governor has prioritized improving student mental health and reducing screen addiction for teens in Arkansas.