When I was in High School.....

Have you ever noticed how teenagers' eyes roll when an adult starts a sentence with, "When I went to high school....." They cannot picture how any adult in their world could possibly understand or relate to what they are going through.  To some degree, they couldn't be more right.  Even students one generation older did not have the constant barrage of information today's teenager faces. Previous generations prepped themselves for seven hours of school, paying close attention to hair and clothes, making sure to act and talk in a way deemed appropriate by their peers. But, it ended with the school day.  Students came home and let go.  Their need to impress those around them ended. Students went home, put on comfy sweats, did some homework, ran around outside unsupervised, ate dinner as a family, and watched television.  Students did not have Facebook or Instagram, and cell phones were used only to talk. Families could tune out the outside world and tune in to one another.

That is not the life of today's teenager.  The cell phone beeps constantly, with texts, with Instagram updates, providing students with an insatiable demand for their attention.  What if they don't respond to the text? What if they don't triple check social media to make sure nothing is being said about them? What if a friend needs help on a problem for the math test tomorrow? For some teenagers, they can walk away and say, enough is enough; it will be there tomorrow.  For others, fear paralyzes their ability to tune the world out.

As the adults in their world, we need to teach them boundaries with technology.  We need to help them separate from their devices. We need them to not feed into the anxiety of the unknown. Require phones and other devices to be charged and stored in the kitchen at night. You can also take the battery out of the phone every night and give it back every morning. Keep the phone with you while your student studies for a test or finish up their homework. Most importantly, model these limitations so they see you practicing what you preach.


Save the Date

Tuesday, December 1st, 6:30 pm, Stonehill College Financial Aid Seminar
Wednesday, December 2nd, CHS, 8th Grade Parent Night for an Introduction to Canton High School