September 11 Policy Updates

North Carolina recently secured at least $451 million and potentially up to $645 million from its landmark Meta settlement, creating a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest those resources in youth well-being. The North Carolina Center for Afterschool Programs weighs in with what this means for North Carolina.

NC Reaches Landmark Settlement with Social Media Giant Meta
North Carolina, along with 46 other states, reached a settlement with Meta over allegations that the company designed Facebook and Instagram to maximize young people’s engagement while knowing that aspects of its platforms could harm youth mental health and well-being. Under the settlement, North Carolina could receive up to approximately $645 million, with payments extending through 2035. The settlement also requires Meta to implement new safety features for teen users. Attorney General Jeff Jackson has called on the General Assembly to direct North Carolina’s settlement funds toward programs and systems that support youth well-being, including afterschool and summer learning programs and mental health supports. 

NC Youth Mental Health Needs
The 2025 North Carolina Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that approximately three in ten high school students reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, while nearly 20% reported poor mental health most or all of the time. Teens spend nearly five hours per day on social media on average, and the U.S. Surgeon General has reported that adolescents who spend more than three hours per day on social media are twice as likely to experience symptoms of depression and anxiety. 

North Carolina is also one of only 22 states without a dedicated source of public funding for afterschool and summer programming. Yet North Carolina has a significant shortage of accessible, screen-free alternatives: 664,000 families wanted afterschool but could not access it, and about half of North Carolina children and youth miss out on summer programs, with cost, availability, and transportation among the largest barriers. 

The Opportunity
North Carolina has both an urgent need and a significant opportunity. Safe, engaging, real-world opportunities, along with more intensive mental health support for students that need it, are exactly the experiences that children and youth need to prevent and mitigate the harms of social media. NC CAP recommends the following framework for use of these and future social media settlement dollars in North Carolina:

1. Protect and Support Youth Well-Being and Mental Health.
2. Establish protected, dedicated funds for positive youth development and youth well-being programs using Meta settlement resources.
3. Significantly expand access to high-quality, screen-free “IRL” alternatives to screens such as afterschool and summer learning programs.
4. Create an accessible network of mental health services and supports for youth, connected to both school and afterschool and summer programs. 
5. Invest in training for in-school and out-of-school-time educators and youth-serving professionals. 
6. Center youth, families, educators, clinicians and community organizations in governance, with transparent funding decisions and measurable outcomes.

North Carolina has the chance to turn accountability into opportunity. The state’s response should not simply help young people spend less time online. It should give them more reasons and opportunities to be together in real life, and make sure help is available when they need it.

To learn more: Read NC CAP’s full policy brief, register for NC CAP’s Virtual Roundtable, “Social Media Accountability: What’s Next for North Carolina?” featuring the North Carolina Department of Justice, or visit FundIRLNC.org.