Middle School Newsletter - September 27th, 2021

I remember way back when we actually had face to face conversations with one another or at least we called one another. Now we communicate via email, text and no one can forget about social media. These modern conveniences are great...it is amazing that we can share important moments in our lives with friends and families who we may not see daily.

However, these conveniences can also sometimes cause problems. I am sure you have heard about the TikTok “devious licks” challenge, which has negatively impacted schools across the nation. TikTok is now removing devious licks content and directing users to its community guidelines page. 

You may ask yourself, why do these challenges catch on with kids? They are seeing something fun happening and then they want to try it too. We must remember that  due to their developmental age teens are impulsive and don’t think about the consequences for these choices. I am continually asking myself what I can do to keep my daughter safe while online. I am very well aware that she is way more tech savvy than I am and if she desires she has ways to hide what she is doing on social media. While our children may feel as if we are infringing on their privacy, it is our responsibility to help them safely navigate their way in this digital world. There is a false sense of confidence when we are communicating behind a screen. We need to have conversations with our children about appropriate ways to handle conflicts. While it may seem like these conversations fall on deaf ears, your children are actually listening and this is just another way we show them how much we love them.

As adults, we can also lead by example as children are always observing the adults in their lives. Staff models how to appropriately use social media through posts that celebrate successes and they also send reminders about academics. You can show them the positive ways you interact with social media at home as well.  If we work together to send a unified message regarding social media I do believe we can make a lasting impact in our children’s experiences. I welcome any further conversation you would like to have regarding this topic.

Amablemente,

Kim

314.645.9600 (607)~kwright@premiercharterschool.org