11/12/19
In today’s world, it is difficult to find time to be “off.” There is always something going on or somewhere we could or should be. For students, the school day no longer ends at 3:05 and interactions with friends don’t end when they leave the building. Being social is now an all-encompassing activity that never stops — unless we make it stop.
This on-all-of-the-time mentality can lead to exhaustion, stress, and anxiety, and it threatens our overall wellness. Many students often have a desire to put down their device for at least small periods of time but that desire competes with the fear of missing out (FOMO). Because of their competing desires, we need to talk to our students and set boundaries for their device use. We need to help them find balance. Many times, students actually want permission to turn off and have some time to think, process, and reflect on their lives and goals. This time of solitude is actually a key component of creativity and problem-solving. We all crave some downtime — students are no different. Ana Homayoun says, “I compare giving a child a smartphone to allowing him or her to go downtown and hang out with friends. Except for one thing: Most parents wouldn’t let their students hang out downtown after midnight or at two in the morning. When parents allow teens to keep their phones in their bedroom at night, in many cases, they are doing just that.”
With social media and devices that never power down, students are constantly bombarded with information and interaction. It is extremely important they have some time away from those devices and find balance in their social lives. One way to accomplish this is to have a daily or weekly routine of on/off time. Talk to your student and come up with a plan to initiate “off” time in your house.
Thunder Connection 11/5/19 - Information Overload
Thunder Connection 10/29/19 - Sending Mixed Messages
Thunder Connection 10/22/19 - Social Media and Altered Expectations
Thunder Connection 10/16/19 - Hacks for Homework
Thunder Connection 10/8/19 - The Sincere Slacker
Thunder Connection 10/1/19 - Managing and Prioritizing Tasks
Thunder Connection 9/24/19 - Choosing a Time and a Place
Thunder Connection 9/17/19 - Why Write it Down?
Thunder Connection 9/10/19 - Social Media and Five Things Most Teens Want
