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From Screen Time Limit Laws to Deepfake Cyberbullying: Why teaching intentional tech & A.I. literacy in 2026 matters more than ever

New Virginia law puts a one-hour limit on social media: What this means for students

The Gist: Starting January 1, 2026, a new Virginia law requires social media platforms to automatically limit users under 16 to one hour online per day (per app) — unless a parent gives verified consent to change that limit. This comes as a new study from the Journal of the American Medical Association found that U.S. teens spend around 70 minutes on their smartphones during the school day, mostly on social media, making intentional tech use a more important skill than ever before. Supporters say the law helps families set tech standards and may reduce doomscrolling. Others say it raises questions about age verification, student autonomy, what “healthy boundaries” with tech really look like, and even the First Amendment and free speech.

What to Know: The law (effective Jan. 1) is part of Virginia’s Consumer Data Protection Act and requires platforms to determine whether a user is under 16 using “reasonable” tools (not biometric data). If a user is under 16, the app must automatically stop access to the main feed after 60 minutes each day. Parents and guardians can adjust the time limit through the app settings or a linked account, as long as the account is verified. However, enforcement may be challenging, as tech-savvy students often find ways around strict policies, especially when access is limited by age alone.

Some families have reported being excited because of the law’s potential to reduce daily conflict, like Lisa Harper, a mother of two high schoolers in Henrico County. But as the law calls into question how social media is actually defined, teens are split. One 15-year-old student shared that she believes she should be able to control how she spends her time on social media and tech, particularly as many nontraditional apps now blend social features with creative or educational experiences. Additionally, the law clearly raises a question about the role of legal regulation in parenting and family decision-making because, in practice, the law is telling families what is appropriate for their children.

Other states are watching Virginia closely, and more laws like this could be passed in the future, making this a great moment for schools to teach students to strike a balance with tech, no matter the rules in place.

TSI’s Take: While this new law could limit screen time significantly, will it actually give students any skills in navigating tech, whether as a teen or later in life?  Clearly not. Students and adults may not agree that social media, despite the clear negatives that can be fueled by tech use, is inherently bad. It’s important for students and educators to recognize that even with laws like this in place, limits alone won’t teach healthy tech habits. Social media itself is not the problem; excessive and unintentional use of tech is. As educators, we can flip the script and empower students with the skills to navigate tech and social media intentionally and responsibly. Because if they don’t gain skills now, they will make bigger mistakes in their lives and careers later. 

Educators can support students by:

• Teaching essential life skills so that students can make smart and healthy decisions with technology, whether it’s school-issued devices or their own smartphones. Not sure where to start? Request a demo of The Social Institute’s positive, proactive, and student-respected modern life skills approach today.
• Encouraging healthy screen time limits for all apps, whether limits come from parents, settings, or laws, by helping students strike a balance when these limits are no longer in place.
• Huddling about what “one hour well-spent” looks like. Help students reflect on what they want social media to do for them (connection, creativity, laughter) vs. what drains them (comparison, scrolling, drama).
• Reminding students about the importance of honesty online. When students are honest about their age online, it helps apps to put settings in place that protect their privacy and keep safety tools working the way they are intended to.

Want to help students take control of their time online? Explore the #WinAtSocial Lesson, What Strike a Balance means, and empower students to use tech in intentional ways that support their learning and well-being.   

Viral deepfake images after Venezuela’s president’s capture show why A.I. literacy matters more than ever

The Gist: After news broke about the capture of Nicolás Maduro, the Venezuelan President, social media quickly filled with A.I.-generated images, altered photos, and old videos shared as if they were real-time updates. CBS News reported that several altered or misleading posts went viral within hours, fueling confusion and spreading false information before many people could verify what they were seeing. It’s a powerful reminder that students need tools to pause, think critically, and verify sources before they trust or share what looks “real” online. 

What to Know: CBS News investigators analyzed multiple viral posts by comparing them to verified footage, running reverse image searches, and using public tools, including A.I. detection tools (which they noted can be inconsistent, but still useful for flagging suspicious content). Some posts appeared to be fully A.I.-generated, while others recycled older footage from previous years and reposted it with new captions to make it seem current. 

This is a common pattern when breaking news hits: people want updates fast, and emotional images spread quickly, even before anyone confirms what’s real. That’s why building Media Literacy and A.I. Literacy skills matters more than ever. When students know how to spot deepfakes, verify sources, and understand context, they’re better prepared to learn, think critically, and avoid spreading misinformation — especially as social media becomes a go-to source for news.

TSI’s Take: In a world where A.I. can create convincing visuals in seconds, students need simple habits that can help them fact-check and avoid spreading misinformation online. Schools can support students by empowering them to:

• Pause before posting: If an image sparks a strong reaction, that’s your cue to stop and verify before sharing. Viral doesn’t mean verified.
• Check the source like a pro: Teach students to look for the original poster, the date, and whether trusted outlets are reporting the same information. 
• Use tools to verify visuals: Reverse image search on Google, checking timestamps, and comparing images to confirmed reporting can help students figure out what’s real and what’s been reused or edited.

Start equipping students to spot deepfakes and stop the spread of misinformation with the #WinAtSocial Lesson: A.I. fact-checkers and how to verify. In this lesson, students will learn why A.I. can generate false information and gain strategies for fact-checking A.I. against reliable and credible sources.

AP report shows why deepfake cyberbullying is becoming a growing threat to students

The Gist: A recent Associated Press report highlights a growing challenge schools are facing: students are using A.I. tools to turn innocent photos of classmates into sexually explicit deepfakes. The impact can be devastating, hurting the reputation, well-being, and academic success of those targeted. This type of content spreads quickly and often creates ongoing stress and trauma for victims, long after the initial post. This is a powerful reminder that as we empower students to cyberback, it’s essential we equip them with the skills to spot, report, and navigate deepfake bullying with confidence.

What to Know: Deepfakes aren’t brand new, but what is new is how easy they’ve become to create. Experts say students no longer need technical skills to generate images of others. They can create realistic-looking manipulated images through apps and tools that take minutes to use. That’s part of why schools are seeing a rise in incidents, including a case at a Louisiana middle school where A.I.-generated nude images circulated widely before consequences followed.

Researchers and school safety experts are now sharing how important it is that schools update their cyberbullying policy to address deepfake bullying. Deepfakes can be especially harmful because they often “feel real,” even when they’re fake. Victims may struggle to prove what happened or worry adults won’t believe them, and when content goes viral and resurfaces, it can create a cycle of fear, shame, and anxiety. 

At The Social Institute, Founder and CEO Laura Tierney highlighted the importance of “letting students know that they can talk to an adult without getting in trouble” so that they feel more comfortable reporting instances of deepfake bullying. That’s why it’s essential that students know what steps to take when navigating deepfake bullying in order to protect themselves and others. 

TSI’s Take: Deepfake cyberbullying is one of the clearest reminders of how important cyberbacking and A.I. Literacy education is in schools. Educators can prepare future-ready students who are equipped with the skills to stop deepfake bullying by: 

• Teaching students the S.H.I.E.L.D. Method: This 6-step method — Stop, Huddle, Inform, Evidence, Limit, and Direct — is a great way to help students remember what to do when they are impacted by deepfake bullying. 
• Normalizing reporting as leadership, not tattling: Students are more likely to speak up when schools frame reporting as protecting people and building a safe community.
• Setting the expectation that cyberbacking is part of school culture: Celebrate students who protect others online and connect cyberbacking to your community values, character, and integrity.

Ready to address deepfake bullying in your school community? Start by creating a strong school policy with our Administrator’s Guide to tackling cyberbullying in the age of A.I. deepfakes. Plus, you’ll also find a step-by-step guide for equipping your students with the S.H.I.E.L.D. Method to promote cyberbacking.  

As states experiment with laws that limit screen time and A.I. reshapes what students see and share online, one thing is clear: rules alone won’t prepare students for their tech-fueled futures. Whether it’s navigating one hour on social media, spotting viral deepfakes tied to breaking news, or responding to A.I.-powered cyberbullying, students need skills — not just restrictions. By empowering students with modern life skills, like intentional tech use, media literacy, and cyberbacking strategies, schools help them build habits that will protect their well-being and future long after the rules change. Explore The Social Institute’s comprehensive approach to addressing student well-being, social media use, and technology challenges that saves teachers time and fosters a positive school culture.

The Social Institute (TSI) is the leader in equipping students, families, and educators with modern life skills to impact learning, well-being, and students’ futures. Through #WinAtSocial, our interactive, peer-to-peer learning platform, we integrate teacher PD, family resources, student voice insights, and more to empower entire school communities to make positive choices online and offline. #WinAtSocial Lessons teach essential skills while capturing student voice and actionable insights for educators. These insights help educators maintain a healthy school culture, foster high-impact teaching, and build meaningful relationships with families. Our unique, student-respected approach empowers and equips students authentically, enabling our solution to increase classroom participation and improve student-teacher relationships. Through our one-of-a-kind lesson development process, we create lessons for a variety of core and elective classes, incorporating timely topics such as social media, A.I., screen time, misinformation, and current events to help schools stay proactive in supporting student health, happiness, and academic success.