22-04-2025
Students weigh social media freedom vs. reasonable restrictions in civics essay contest
When social media impacts teen safety, are government regulations that may infringe on constitutional rights and freedoms justified?
Salem High School senior Kendra Jozokos won first place for her essay tackling that topic in the New Hampshire Bar Foundation's first annual High School Civics Essay Contest.
Jozokos earned a $5,000 cash award. Runners-up who each received a $2,500 cash award were Merrimack Valley High School senior Addyson Kimball, Hanover High School junior Benjamin Hourdequin and Bedford High School junior Eva Piacentini.
The essay question was, 'Should the government be permitted to regulate social media for people under 18?'
'Every generation preserves democracy for the next,' said New Hampshire Bar Foundation Chair Scott Harris, who served as one of the judges. 'Part of the reason for this essay contest is because we want to energize the next generation to pick up the mantle of democracy, because it's as good a concept of government as we have, and it's only as good as those that support it.
'The essay learners have done a phenomenal job arguing both sides of a very difficult constitutional problem.'
A panel of attorney judges evaluated each of the 124 submissions on criteria including the understanding of constitutional principles; originality, clarity, and depth of analysis; and grammar, spelling, composition and citations.
State Supreme Court Chief Justice Gordon MacDonald said the students honored Tuesday, as well as all who entered the contest, 'inspire us and give us hope, give us confidence for the future.'
'Do we need all of that right now? Yes, we do,' MacDonald said. 'Attacks on basic norms, including the essential need for an independent judiciary, are on the rise and growing louder. Public confidence in our democratic institutions, including the judiciary, is on the decline.'
Harris presented each contest winner with an award certificate and cash prize during an awards ceremony Tuesday at the New Hampshire Supreme Court in Concord.
Jozokos said in her own life she's seen how, 'even with my parents supporting me and trying to make it safe, I still was able to access things I shouldn't be able to access.'
In her winning essay, Jozokos wrote teenage social media use has been linked to significant concerns regarding mental health, online safety, and exposure to inappropriate or even harmful content.
'Given these risks, government intervention to regulate minors' social media use is both justified and necessary,' Jozokos wrote. 'The government has a compelling interest in protecting minors from harmful content and excessive social media consumption due to its impact on mental health, privacy, and online safety. However, while reasonable restrictions on what minors can access are justified, their right to express themselves online should remain protected under the First Amendment."
Bedford High's Piacentini wrote that placing government limitations on social media usage by youth would be 'an unconstitutional overreach, violating free speech, parental rights, and personal liberties.'
'While mental well-being and online safety concerns are valid, constitutional rights should not be traded off in the name of protection,' Piacentini wrote. 'Keeping youth safe from social media dangers is critical, but relinquishing fundamental freedoms is not the solution.'
Piacentini said it's a topic 'that's been present throughout my entire life.'
'My parents have always had very strong feelings on social media, so when I saw what the topic was, I was very intrigued,' Piacentini said. 'I really wanted to give my point of view, because throughout my entire life I've known many people, like my friends, not having much restrictions from their parents, and so I've learned the differences between that and it was very important to me to talk about this topic.'
Addyson Kimball of Merrimack Valley High School wrote that while concerns over privacy and safety are valid, 'sweeping governmental restrictions on minors' social media use would create more constitutional problems than solutions.'
'The government's interest in protecting minors does not override their right to free speech, nor does it justify imposing regulations that would diminish parental autonomy and limit youth civic engagement,' Kimball wrote. 'Instead, the focus should be on targeted measures that increase corporate accountability and strengthen privacy protections without infringing upon constitutional rights.'
Hanover High School's Hourdequin, who will intern with the state Supreme Court this summer, wrote that social media poses a 'clear danger to young people,' but said the U.S. has 'thrived by upholding its constitutional principles without exception.'
'Our founders secured our rights against government overreach, so we must accept the inefficiencies of legislating within Constitutional bounds because following protocol, however inconvenient, defends our systems from tyranny,' wrote Hourdequin.
