North Carolina

Limited Action

North Carolina at a glance

North Carolina's attorney general is actively holding tech companies accountable.
North Carolina mandates phone-free classrooms, but their policy is not bell-to-bell.
North Carolina has not yet enacted any social media age restrictions.
North Carolina does not yet have a reasonable childhood independence law.
North Carolina has not yet passed any major laws that regulate harmful tech or hold companies liable.

Areas of Opportunity

Making the statewide school phone policy bell-to-bell with inaccessible storage will bring real connection back to North Carolina's schools.
Passing a reasonable childhood independence law will protect North Carolina's families from unfair charges of neglect.
Setting a social media age minimum of 16 with no parental consent loophole will solve the collective action problem for North Carolina families.
Enacting laws that address harmful social media design and AI safety will protect North Carolina’s kids from manipulative technology.

These opportunities are within reach for your home state. Download our policy menu, reach out to us, and reclaim childhood in North Carolina.

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Dive Deeper

Childhood Development Policies

Is the state helping to solve the collective action problems families face by adopting policies that support a healthier real-world childhood?

Distraction-Free Schools
North Carolina law mandates phone-free classrooms, but still allows students to use devices during lunch and breaks. View the state’s Phone-Free Schools Report Card.
Childhood Independence
North Carolina does not yet have a reasonable childhood independence law, leaving too much discretion to the authorities and putting parents at risk of unfair neglect charges.

Political Leadership

Is the governor championing kids' safety, and is the Office of the Attorney General using its power to hold big tech accountable?

Attorney General Leadership
North Carolina has joined both the lawsuit against Meta and the TikTok lawsuit. North Carolina's Attorney General has also actively called for action on kids’ online safety, serving as a lead state for the AI Child Safety Letter, AI Local Authority Letter, and xAI Grok Letter.

Tech Policies

What is the state doing to address harmful tech and hold companies accountable?

Social Media Age Limits
North Carolina has not enacted any significant social media age restrictions.
Regulating Harmful Design
North Carolina has not yet enacted any significant laws in this area.
Holding Tech Companies Accountable
North Carolina has not yet enacted any significant laws in this area.
Incentivizing Safer Tech
North Carolina has not yet enacted any significant laws in this area.

Family Perceptions

What do parents in the state say about their children's tech use, opportunities for independence, and real-life interactions?

IFS Resilient Childhood Score
Low. North Carolina parents report that their kids experience:
- Low levels of independent, unsupervised activity
- Minimal time spent playing outside and socializing with friends
- High screen time, device ownership, and tech use

This page was last updated on March 4, 2026. The Childhood Index highlights key policies and actions and is not intended to be a comprehensive list. If there’s something you think we missed or should consider, we welcome your feedback.