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Fund IRL NC: Trading Screen Time for Real Life Connection
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Social media companies are facing massive lawsuits across the country for the harm they’ve caused our kids. We want to take the awards and settlements from those lawsuits, and pour it right back into local afterschool and summer programs.
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The North Carolina Center for Afterschool Programs (NC CAP) is teaming up with national partners like the Children’s Funding Project and the Afterschool Alliance to turn online harm into real-world opportunities. Together, we are helping young people log off, build real skills, make face-to-face friends, and just be kids again.
Be a Part of the Solution
Social media can help young children connect and access and learn about new, exciting parts of the world. Unfortunately, the benefits of social media are being quickly outweighed by the risks. Our children’s health is being put at risk.Â
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After decades of social media expanding in our lives, we now have the research that shows that social media makes children feel more isolated, depressed, and anxious.Â
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Adolescents who spend more than three hours per day on social media are twice as likely to report symptoms of depression and anxiety.
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Sleep and Mood Disruption: Late-night scrolling is linked to poor sleep quality, a major risk factor for mood disorders.
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Heavy users are twice as likely to experience suicidal thoughts.
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North Carolina is stepping up to make this right. Governor Josh Stein and the NC Attorney General’s office officially joined a lawsuit against Meta for intentionally designing platforms to hook teens and fueling a youth mental health crisis. Additionally, more than a dozen North Carolina school districts, including Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Wake, Robeson, Union, and Johnston counties, have filed lawsuits against social media giants to recover the massive drain on school mental health resources. North Carolina is seeking to hold platforms accountable.
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The conversation can and should include restricting youth access to social media and reducing screen time – but it should not only be about that. It should also be about increasing positive experiences. When we place limits on youth consumption of social media, what are we offering them as an alternative that supports genuine connection and positive mental health?
The Toll of Too Much Screen Time
Afterschool is the Perfect Antidote
Afterschool and summer programs give kids a safe place to unplug, explore, and grow. They are the ultimate real-world alternative to social media.
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Afterschool and summer programs provide young people with a safe place to connect, explore, and grow. Research shows that kids who participate in these types of programs build confidence and communication skills, benefit from healthy social interactions, and are better protected from risky behaviors or negative influences.Â
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Afterschool and summer programs are staffed by caring mentors who are trained to help youth build life skills and make smart decisions. Programs offer a safe, welcoming space where young people engage with their peers in hands-on projects and real-world learning activities. Â
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The vast majority of NC parents say afterschool programs help children develop communication and social skills, replacing screen time with in-person interaction. They also agree that afterschool programs prevent risky behaviors and exposure to negative influences in person and online.
However, access remains a critical issue for our state:
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Currently, 664,000 children in North Carolina are waiting for an afterschool program.
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4 out of 5 NC parents who want to enroll their child in a program cannot access one, primarily due to cost and lack of transportation.
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92% of NC parents say having their child in an afterschool program helps them keep their jobs or work more hours.
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When kids can access afterschool programs, the impact is immediate:
Together, we’re working to reinvest the money won from North Carolina social media legal settlements directly back into our communities. We’ll build North Carolina’s afterschool programs and keep our kids engaged offline through the following opportunities:
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The LEAP Fund will create a dedicated Learning and Enrichment in Afterschool Programs (LEAP) Fund so this settlement money can only be spent on youth programs. Â
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A $19.5 million state funding request (launched in Spring 2026) will help kickstart this initiative. Â
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The NC Department of Public Instruction (DPI) will run a competitive grant process to distribute the money fairly to communities across North Carolina, with a focus on youth voice, mentorship, student mental health and well-being, career preparation, and community and family engagement.Â
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We invite organizations, businesses, schools and school districts, educators, youth-serving professionals, afterschool program leaders, advocates, and community leaders who share this vision to join the Fund IRL North Carolina Coalition. By adding your voice, you can help build statewide momentum for reinvesting social media settlement dollars into the real-life opportunities young people need to learn, connect, and thrive.
Put Big Tech’s Profits Back into NC Kids
Our Partners
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