March 12, 2026, Durham, NC – As social media and digital platforms become a central part of young people’s lives, educators are tasked with helping students navigate online environments safely and responsibly. In response, North Carolina passed House Bill 959 (HB 959), which requires schools to provide instruction on social media literacy and responsible technology use.

Beginning with the 2026–2027 school year, public schools must provide instruction on social media literacy at multiple grade levels, once in elementary school, once in middle school, and twice in high school. The law outlines several topics that instruction should address, including but not limited to:

  • The impact of social media on mental health, including addiction
  • The spread of misinformation online
  • Manipulation and persuasive techniques used on digital platforms
  • Responsible online behavior and personal safety
  • Skills that reduce risk-taking or harmful behaviors

For many schools, implementing these new requirements raises an important question:

How can educators effectively teach students to critically evaluate media and navigate digital environments safely?

Media literacy education provides an evidence-based approach to addressing these learning goals.

The Role of Media Literacy Education

Media literacy helps students understand how media messages are created, why they are persuasive, and how they influence attitudes and behavior. These skills are increasingly important as students encounter advertising, influencers, algorithm-driven content, and targeted messaging across digital platforms.

By developing media literacy skills, students learn to:

  • Recognize manipulation and persuasive techniques
  • Identify misinformation and misleading content
  • Understand how media can influence behavior and decision-making
  • Develop critical thinking skills when evaluating digital content

iRT develops evidence-based media literacy programs that help schools build these skills across grade levels while supporting several of the learning goals outlined in HB 959.

Elementary School: Building Foundational Media Literacy Skills

Media Detective is designed for elementary school students in grades 3–5 and introduces young learners to the fundamentals of media literacy.

Through engaging instructor-led lessons and activities, students learn how advertisements are created to persuade audiences. Led by mascots Scoop and Snoop, they practice identifying advertising techniques and begin to understand how media messages can influence their choices and behaviors, particularly regarding substance use.

By teaching students to question and analyze media messages early, Media Detective helps build foundational critical thinking skills that support responsible media use later in life.

Middle School: Strengthening Critical Thinking Skills

Media Ready builds on these skills for middle school students, helping youth critically analyze media messages related to alcohol, tobacco, vaping products, and other substances.

Students learn how advertisers use persuasive techniques, emotional appeals, and targeted messaging to influence behavior. These instructor-led lessons help students recognize manipulation and develop healthier decision-making skills as they encounter increasingly complex media environments, including social media platforms.

High School: Understanding Media Influence and Digital Risks

Media Aware High School helps students develop the critical thinking skills needed to navigate today’s digital media landscape. The program explores how media, including social media, can influence beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors related to their sexual and relationship health.

These web-based, self-paced lessons provide students with tools for making informed decisions and protecting their health and relationships.

Media World further expands students’ understanding of how media influences behavior. The program explores how advertising works, how marketing is regulated, and how persuasive media messages shape perceptions.

Students analyze real-world media examples related to substances such as tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, prescription drugs, steroids, and highly caffeinated beverages. Through these lessons, students gain a deeper understanding of how media messaging can contribute to addictive behaviors and risk-taking.

Because HB 959 requires instruction twice in high school, programs like Media Aware High School and Media World can provide complementary learning opportunities that strengthen students’ media literacy skills over time.

Why Choose iRT’s Programs?

While HB 959 focuses specifically on social media literacy, iRT’s programs address many forms of media, including advertising, entertainment media, and digital platforms, helping students develop transferable critical thinking skills. Through iRT’s programs, students are provided with engaging, developmentally-appropriate activities to learn:

  • The impact of social media on mental health, including how it impacts their relationships, sexual health, and substance use behaviors
  • How misinformation spreads online and how to evaluate the credibility of digital content
  • How digital platforms and media messages can manipulate behavior through persuasive techniques and targeted messaging
  • Personal and interpersonal skills that strengthen protective factors and reduce risky behaviors and unhealthy relationships

Supporting Students in a Digital World

Today’s students are exposed to a constant stream of media messages, from advertisements and influencers to social media platforms and targeted marketing. Understanding how these messages influence behavior is an essential skill for young people.

By integrating media literacy education into their curriculum, schools can not only support the goals of HB 959, but also empower students to think critically, make informed decisions, and navigate digital spaces safely and responsibly.

To learn more about iRT’s evidence-based media literacy programs, visit
https://irtinc.us/products/.