SCCoop Words on Wellness, December 2019

The SCCoop

Words on Wellness

December 2019

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From the President...

While we're gearing up for the holidays, we're also gearing up for our 25th Anniversary Celebration in 2020. Save the Date! We've booked our spring speaker on Social Media Wellness for April 29. See below for details.

This month, without many SCC and community events to promote, we shorten our newsletter and just provide a few social media and technology tips, including selecting holiday gifts and why social media isn't all bad news.

As always, let us know how the SCC can help in your community, school, and home!

Elizabeth Hale, President

SCC in the Community

Cultivating Self-Advocacy in Students

Friend of the SCC for all her work with high school kids' (and parents'!) well-being, Kathleen Otal, a school counselors at McLean High School, was a guest on School-Based Technology Specialist Nishi Langhorne's Invitations to Learn podcast. Ms. Otal and Ms. Langhorne agreed to share a podcast on helping students adjust to high school. There is an emphasis on cultivating self-advocacy in students as well as allowing students to grow socially, emotionally, and academically.

Click here to listen.

Upcoming Events

Coming Soon! Author of Social Media Wellness, Ana Homayoun

We are pleased to announce our spring speaker, Ana Homayoun! Ana will speak at the McLean Community Center on April 29th from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. As usual, we will be selling her books at the ev ent, as well as planning book talks in the community. We will have lots more information in the new year.

Ana will speak on "Social Media Wellness: Understanding the Intersection of School, Stress and Social Media." Working with kids in today’s digital world has never been so complex, and keeping up with the latest social media trends can seem like a never-ending challenge. Today’s technology-infused learning environments play host to many distractions, including social media. Many teens and young adults typically use online tools to promote and maintain community, and with that opportunity comes potential challenges. Ana helps parents and educators understand the new world of social media socialization, and provides practical tips on how we can all work to make better choices around social media use and overall wellness.

Ana Homayoun is a noted teen and millennial expert, author, speaker and educator. Her latest book, Social Media Wellness: Helping Tweens and Teens Thrive in an Unbalanced Digital World , discusses modern social media dilemmas and offers prescriptive solutions. Her first book, That Crumpled Paper Was Due Last Week: Helping Disorganized and Distracted Boys Succeed in School and Life , quickly became a classic among parents and educators for the pragmatic approach to executive functioning issues. Her next book, The Myth of the Perfect Girl: Helping Our Daughters Find Authentic Success and Happiness in School and Life , explores the real-life dilemmas of young women today and provides strategies for finding authentic success and happiness. An a work has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, Atlantic Magazine, Fast Company, USA Today, San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose Mercury News, Chicago Tribune , and ABC News , among others, and she is a frequent guest on NPR.

Ana is the founder of Green Ivy Educational Consulting, a Silicon Valley-based educational consulting firm, and has spent the past seventeen years working with students, parents, and educators around the world. For more information, please visit: www.anahomayoun.com and www.greenivyed.com .

Sixth Grade Ethics Days

Ethics Days are coming up in March for sixth graders in elementary schools that feed to Langley and McLean high schools. Look out for our request for volunteers in the new year. It's fun and engaging to talk with small groups of these kids! No experience necessary.

Youth Advisory Council/Middle School Forum

Also in March, dozens of youth who are part of our Youth Advisory Council will lead the Middle School Forums at Cooper and Longfellow Middle Schools. Training for the students will begin in January. This long-standing SCC program year helps ease the transition from middle to high school for many area students.

Reading List

FCPS Healthy Minds: Choosing Media Wisely

Many parents worry about the amount of time their children are spending on devices. While time is one consideration, the content and features of media they’re using is important too. The six steps below will help families discover high quality media. They’ll also help parents learn what to look for and discuss with their children before using a new app, game, or service.

Step 1: Make a list of the specific games/apps/media your children use or would like to use.

Step 2: Use reviews to learn about the game/app/media your children want to use. The following two sites provide information about what’s in a game, app, movie, or online service. This helps parents make informed decisions about the media used by their children.

Common Sense Media Reviews provide help with finding age-appropriate apps, games, movies, music, and TV shows. They also provide information parents need to know.
Entertainment Software Ratings Board Reviews provide a rating and let parents know what’s in the game or app.

Step 3: Consider the following questions to inform your decision and what you need to talk about with your children.

What is the educational value of the app, media, game, or service?
Can your children communicate with people they don’t know while using the app, game, or service?
Is the app, game, media, or service age appropriate and is there questionable content?
Does the tool or service use location services?
Can your children buy additional features, also known as in-app purchases?
Can your children publish text, photos, or videos publicly?
Is there live streaming?
What information is collected about your children and who can this be shared with? This information is usually found in the Terms of Service and Privacy Policies.
Who owns the content your children post or share?
Does the app, game, media, or service reflect your family’s values?

Step 4: OK...you’ve done your research! Next, decide the app, game, or media that is right for your family. Does your child have the maturity, judgement, and self-control to use it in a safe, responsible, and ethical manner?

Step 5: Establish expectations and consequences. Be transparent about any parental controls you are using. Be consistent in upholding the expectations and consequences. FCPS provides resources for establishing expectations.

Step 6: Enjoy media together. Use teachable moments to help your children develop a safe and healthy relationship with their media and devices.

Source: FCPS Healthy Minds

5 Myths and Truths About Kids' Internet Safety

You can read more about each of these myths and truths in the original article .

Myth: Social media turns kids into cyberbullies.

Truth: There are many reasons why a kid might cyberbully, and social media is just a convenient way to do the dirty work.

Myth: Teaching kids not to talk to strangers is the best way to keep them safe online.

Truth: Teaching kids to recognize predatory behavior will help them avoid unwelcome advances.

Myth: Social media alienates kids.

Truth: Most kids say social media strengthens their relationships.

Myth: It’s dangerous to post pictures of your kids online.

Truth: If you use privacy settings, limit your audience, and don't ID your kids, it can be done fairly safely.

Myth: Parental controls are the best way to monitor my kids’ online activities.

Truth: Focusing on only one Internet safety method lulls you into a false sense of security.

By all means, use parental controls to help prevent exposure to age-inappropriate material and to manage time limits . But don't think they get you off the hook. Continue to discuss responsible, respectful online behavior, set rules and consequences for misbehavior, and train your kid to manage his or her own usage.

Source: Common Sense Media

Tips for Elementary School Parents: Do You Monitor Your Child's Screen Time?

There are positives and negatives to screen media for children. But one thing's for sure, today's children spend an increasing amount of time watching screens. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that parents develop a screen use plan for their child. Your plan should take your child's development into account and provide consistent rules about media use. It should also ensure that your child's screen time is balanced with plenty of time for sleep, exercise, and non-screen recreation.

Take time today to evaluate digital media use in your home. Is your child spending too much time watching TV and videos, playing electronic games, surfing the web or texting? Is it affecting success in school? If so, it's time to set some limits. To plan appropriate media use:

Pay close attention to how your family uses digital media. Where are the TVs and computers located? How many hours does your child spend in front of a screen?
Learn more. New apps and video games come out all the time. Find out what your child is playing. Ask other parents what they recommend.
Make a plan. Keep TVs and computers out of your child's bedroom. Put both where you can see them and be aware of what your child is watching. Figure out how much recreational screen time you will allow your child. Then establish a screen-time schedule for your family and stick to it. Establish screen-free times and zones in your home—during homework time and mealtimes, for example. In addition, set an electronic device curfew one hour before bedtime. To use the AAP's media plan calculator, go to healthychildren.org/English/media .
Share recreational screen time. When your child does watch TV or videos, or plays with video games or apps, join in. Interact with your child. Talk about what you are seeing and doing.
Offer choices. Suggest productive activities for your child when electronic devices are turned off, such as reading, doing puzzles, playing an active game and talking with family.

As part of our Social Media Wellness theme, we'll be highlighting articles about interesting things going on with our personal tech and social media. Here's one about how Facebook's ads are contributing to the polarization in the electorate from the Washington Post .