Roanoke County Public Schools Partners With SmartSocial to Protect 13,000 Students From AI and Social Media Dangers
Roanoke County Public Schools in Southwest Virginia is taking decisive action as AI chatbot use among teens reaches crisis levels. A landmark study published in JAMA Pediatrics found that 1 in 5 American teens, more than 8 million students, are secretly using AI chatbots for mental health and relationship support, with 60% hiding it from their parents.
On August 18, the district co-hosted its first live "AI for Student Success" parent event with SmartSocial.com, drawing hundreds of families for an evening that exceeded all five prior community meetings combined. "Our students are navigating a digital world that changes faster than most adults realize," said Dr. James Soltis, Superintendent of Roanoke County Public Schools. "This partnership gives every family in our district a trusted resource and a direct line to expert guidance they can act on right now." Serving just over 13,000 K-12 students across 27 schools in Southwest Virginia, Roanoke County Public Schools has partnered with SmartSocial, one of the nation's leading digital safety organizations, to keep every family one step ahead of the digital threats their children face every day.
A superintendent who understands the crisis, and as a parent
Dr. James Soltis has spent 28 years in public education and has a 15-year-old son of his own. He knows that 90% of school discipline traces back to social media. He knows that AI chatbots can appear harmless while putting students at serious emotional risk. And he knows that rural Southwest Virginia families face the exact same digital threats as communities everywhere, hidden direct messages, dangerous viral challenges, group text bullying, screen addiction, and the pressure to perform online. "I don't think it matters where you live," Dr. Soltis said. "Your kids are not immune." That recognition, and the willingness to act on it, is why Roanoke County partnered with SmartSocial.
One virtual event reached more families than all five prior community meetings combined
Roanoke County had already been holding digital safety community meetings across each of its five district areas. Attendance was modest. The first SmartSocial "AI for Student Success" live event changed that entirely. "We had more people tonight than we've had in all five of those combined," said a district leader in attendance. SmartSocial's virtual platform removes every barrier that keeps parents from showing up, no commute, no scheduling conflict, no childcare needed. When families hear real teens sharing real experiences alongside expert guidance they can act on immediately, they pay attention.
Southwest Virginia families are ready to step up, SmartSocial gives them the tools
Roanoke County is a close-knit community proud of its values and deeply invested in its children. These are parents who want to be involved, they just haven't always had the right entry point. Through the SmartSocial partnership, Roanoke County families now have access to 40+ live parent workshops per year covering AI chatbots, social media addiction, digital reputation, and cyberbullying prevention, plus a student digital literacy curriculum delivered directly in schools and SmartSocial's full online resource library, trusted by more than 2 million families nationwide. The message from Roanoke County is clear: keeping kids safe online is a team effort, parents, educators, and the whole community, working together.
