GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) – Greenville police are preparing to enforce a downtown teen curfew this weekend after social media posts calling for teens to gather led to multiple fights last weekend.
Now, a mental health professional is commenting on social media’s role in the fights.
The curfew applies to anyone under 18 in the downtown area between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. from Friday to Monday. Teens accompanied by an adult or working in the area are exempt.
The fights last weekend stemmed from posts calling for teens to gather at the Sup Dogs parking lot. New posts are calling for another “teen takeover” this weekend.
Mayor P.J. Connelly said the curfew is necessary.
“We want to make sure they understand that we don’t need them going downtown this weekend late at night, causing problems,” Connelly said.
Police Chief Richard Tyndall said officers will not conduct blanket ID checks to enforce the curfew. He says officers are trained to detect who is underage in these situations.
“We’re really focusing on the most vulnerable of our population right now. We really need the community to help us with this,” Tyndall said.
Tyndall acknowledged the enforcement approach is not a perfect science, but said officers are confident they can identify who is too young to be out.
Teens who violate the curfew can face misdemeanor charges. Adults who help teens violate it can also face several charges.
Mental health therapist Brittany Edmondson said social media preys on teens’ natural desire for connection and affirmation. Posts about teen takeovers can instantly trigger the fear of missing out that young people experience.
“Social media gives us this false sense of what community should be and what connection should look like. We’ve lost, as a society, what healthy community and communication are because of social media,” Edmondson said.
Both Tyndall and Connelly are urging parents and other adults to intervene and keep teenagers off the streets late at night. Edmondson said parental involvement is key to solving the problem.
“I think there is definitely hope for the future, but we’ve got to get teens making the right decisions, and parents stepping in to guide their teens into making those right decisions,” Edmondson said.
The curfew is currently planned for this weekend only, but the city is open to potentially extending it for the Fourth of July.
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