EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS AWARENESS PRERVENTION

Three Risks of too Much Screen Time for Teens

The Greater Good Magazine article Is Screen Time Toxic for Teenagers? cites studies that have shown that

smartphone and social media overuse can be toxic for teens. In a related article, Three Risks of too Much

Screen Time for Teens, the magazine expands on this topic and asserts that by understanding the reasons why

and what it is about smartphones and social media that may be hurtful, teens can be better assisted in using

their devices safely. Research reveals three ways the use of technology can be harmful to teens that may be

surprising. The antidote, the article asserts, is the real-life social connection.

•  Parents write letter about 16-year-old son committing suicide — and what impact that has had:  Patrick’s Purpose Foundation

On December 21st, 2001, one of the brightest smiles and biggest laughs entered the world in the form of Patrick “Patty” Turner. Son to John and Kim, and youngest brother to Emily, James and Brandel, Patrick’s charismatic, loving and compassionate personality quickly found its place amongst the Turners.

As an infant, the Turners and their close family friends remember Patrick as the baby who would giggle at nearly anything. Patrick’s legendary laugh and smile developed quickly, and his older siblings loved to play with their newest younger brother. As the youngest, Patrick wanted to be just like Emily, James and Brandel. He spent his mornings watching his siblings getting ready for elementary school, and he spent his afternoons tagging along to whatever practice John was coaching for one of the other kids.

Patrick quickly followed in his siblings footsteps. He played several youth sports for nearly a decade, and then moved on to high school baseball and football at Corona del Mar HS. Patrick was a true competitor and loved to win, but what he loved most about high school was the guys and the coaches that he had the chance to play with and learn from. Some of his last words were spent praising the coaches who mentored him.

Patrick loved all things outdoors, whether it was playing golf on a Friday afternoon with his family, catching a bullpen with Brandel at the fields, going to the beach on an afternoon with his buddies, or snowboarding near the family house in Idaho. Patrick was up for anything, and there was rarely a time when the word 'no' came out of his mouth.

Christmas of 2017 was an extra special one for the Turners as it marked the last time that all six would be together. The holidays are one of the only times that all of the kids were home at the same time, and the family made the most of it with many rounds of golf, beach trips to the Wedge, Patty’s birthday, family Christmas traditions, and a ski trip to Idaho.

Four weeks later, on January 27th, 2018, Patrick died by suicide at the age of 16. Patrick was suffering in silence with a battle that he could no longer bear. He never 

First of  a three-part series. Read Part 2 and Part 3
Emma Pangelinan’s room embodies everything that is pure and good about teenagers, yet the quiet in the air is so heavy it nearly brings you to your knees.

Two rows of hard-earned gleaming softball and soccer trophies testify to the past. A blue-and-gold UCLA pennant on the wall promises a wonderful future.

ADVERTISING

But the athletic, bright, always-helpful 13-year-old who slept in this room, who grew up in this home of faith and family, is gone forever.

After a perfect day on a perfect Sunday blasting softballs, sharing jokes with the girls on her travel team and window shopping with Dad, Emma disappeared on the evening of Jan. 21 and killed herself.

No note, no warning, no “13 Reasons Why” voice tape as portrayed on the recent Netflix suicide series.

Just the stop of a beating heart.

In the following three weeks in Orange County, at least three more teenagers who appeared to excel ended their lives.

How many other teens have taken or tried to take their lives in Southern California in the past few months is unknown. But what is known is that smart, successful, gifted teens are committing suicide in increasing numbers, and if certain things don’t change – and change quickly – many more young lives will be snuffed out.

“We are definitely seeing an increase in self-harm,” reports Dr. Michael Brant-Zawadzki, executive medical director of the Neurosciences Institute at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach. “Negative behaviors have steadily started to increase.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports suicide has become the third-leading cause of death for teens and that more than 4,600 young people – ages 10 to 24 – are lost each year.

Additionally, 157,000 youths between the ages of 10 and 24 are treated at emergency departments for self-inflicted injuries.

For many teens, suicide is no longer only about parents screaming at kids, drug addiction or bullying.

The factors causing some of these suicides as well as thousands of attempts are new, murky and very much 21st century.

They include lives lived in a digital world in which kids are measured by Instagram and Snapchat “likes,” a sense of overwhelming pressure coupled with fear of failure, and the belief that practice – and enough Internet research – can make you perfect.

But, of course, perfection is unattainable and failure is guaranteed.

“It’s not an exaggeration to describe iGen as being on the brink of the worst mental-health crisis in decades,” writes Jean Twenge, professor of psychology at San Diego State University and author of “Generation Me.”

“The arrival of the smartphone has radically changed every aspect of teenagers’ lives, from the nature of their social interactions to their mental health,” Twenge concludes. “These changes have affected young people in every corner of the nation and in every type of household.”

A hand-carved cross about 18 inches tall hangs above the mantle in Liza and Louie Pangelinan’s home in Mission Viejo. Below, two votive candles flicker. A rosary is draped over a small statue of Jesus Christ, hands low and open. In the center, there is a photo of Emma. She is smiling and appears to lean forward, eager for her next adventure.

The candles and the photo are new. The hanging cross is not. The rosary is the same rosary that parents and extended relatives from Corona held the night that Emma’s body was discovered.

But the seventh grader’s essence is best captured in a photo that is nearly hidden. It shows Emma from the back when she was just 8 years old. Already a budding athlete, her batting helmet is cocked just so and she grasps the meat of the bat with one hand, barrel up and behind her.

Her stride exudes confidence, strength and grace – the very same characteristics Emma exuded the day she killed herself.

Emma’s father, Louie Pangelinan, played high school football in Corona, was a volunteer coach and allows that his daughter “made plays you don’t see at the high school level, and she made them look easy.”

It’s a statement not of pride but of fact, and is difficult for Pangelinan to volunteer. Exceptionally quiet and humble by nature, the longshoreman paraphrases football great Walter Payton, “When you’re good at something, you tell everyone. When you’re great at something, they tell you.”

Kids, coaches, even parents told Emma she was great – because, well, she was.

At just about everything.

Emma earned straight As, excelled at art, whisked from kid softball to club teams and then to travel teams. She played the tough job of catcher; heck, she played any position needed.

But 2016 was a very tough year. One of the girls in the league was responsible for her own death.

The coaches, however, understood the trauma and called in Casey Cooper, sports psychologist. Cooper addressed the team as a whole and also took on individuals. Emma was one.

Exceptionally shy, Emma came out of her shell under Cooper. Soon, she made friends more easily.

After a series of sessions, the therapy ended. There was no indication of depression. Just the opposite.

Recalling the day she got a text stating Emma had disappeared, the therapist echoes Emma’s parents, “There were no red flags.”

Still, like other experts on teenage turmoil, Cooper sees red flags across the nation.

The speed of technology, they agree, is moving faster than the ability of young people to process the effects.

Consider that smartphones arrived in 2007. Instagram came online in October 2010, Snapchat a year later.

San Diego State’s Twenge dates the impact: “Rates of teen depression and suicide have skyrocketed since 2011.”

Millennials grew up with PCs, moved on to laptops, gravitated to tablets and came of age when smartphones hit the market. But their little brothers and sisters practically grew up with smartphones.

The gap between millennials and their iGen siblings may be as little as five years, yet it is as wide as the gap between the World War II generation and baby boomers.

Few will admit it – many don’t even know it – but parents might as well be on Mars when it comes to understanding the new world of their teens.

“These kids are always on display,” Cooper points out. “You’re always being evaluated based on the number of likes and comments.”

In their living room, the Pangelinans offer a gracious platter of chips and fresh-cut veggies. But during a discussion that lasts until sunset, no one touches food.

When your youngest child dies by their own hand, eating is nearly impossible. Living is hard enough.

Liza confesses she loves candy. Yet gift baskets of candy from friends stack up on the dining table untouched. She confesses, “I can’t taste them.”

Mom shakes her head at the memory of hiking with Emma a week before her little girl’s death. Liza was shocked and frightened by the carcass of a decaying deer and Emma, 5-foot-4 and strong, comforted her mother.

How could such a girl take her own life a week later?

Emma not only left her parents in mourning, she left behind an older brother and sister who thought – no, knew – their little sister “was the coolest.”

Still, Cooper and Emma’s parents allow the seventh grader was a perfectionist who could be tough on herself.

“She would talk about an error and we would say, ‘But you made 10 great plays,’” Liza says. “Emma internalized a lot of stuff.”

Emma wasn’t big on social media, Liza says. She adds, however, many teens stage elaborate photos as if to prove they are having fun and post them online in a race for digital popularity. When it’s deemed there’s an insufficient number of “likes,” they take down the photo.

“These kids have a lot more pressure than we ever did growing up,” Liza says. “There’s a lot we can’t relate to.”

After a long moment of silence, Liza allows, “Obviously there was some level of depression. Emma conquered everything except her emotions.

“They were just too overwhelming.”

Dad reflects on all the long car rides he had with his youngest daughter. Driving is difficult, he admits. It won’t be any easier come summer.

In July, Dad and Emma were going to drive to Colorado for a series of softball games. Emma even made a playlist for the trip.

It’s still in her bedroom.

Next: Teen’s suicide note details today’s pressures

BY AMY L. EVA | JANUARY 11, 2019

• Bookmark

“Why are we ignoring our college students?” a frustrated colleague asked me last week. With so much focus on social-emotional learning, trauma-sensitive classrooms, and student well-being in K-12 schools, my friend argued passionately that young adults need our attention, too.

The challenge is clear. In 2018, researchers who surveyed almost 14,000 first-year college students (in eight countries) found that 35 percent struggled with a mental illness, particularly depression or anxiety. Here in the U.S., college students seeking mental health services report that anxiety is their #1 concern—and it is on the rise.

With demands for mental health support typically exceeding resources, how are colleges and universities addressing student well-being both inside and outside of the classroom? The emerging programs, new online resources, and innovative approaches to classroom teaching described below may encourage and inspire you—whether you’re an educator, staff member, or administrator who wants to prioritize student well-being at your school, or a concerned parent with a child heading off to college.

Colleges provide orientation sessions on drug and alcohol use, sexual violence prevention, and other student health and lifestyle topics, so why not address mental health more directly? Many colleges are beginning to proactively share mental health information with students during face-to-face orientation sessions.

Approaches vary from traditional presentations and panel discussions, to role plays, short videos, and student testimonials followed by small group discussions. Here, students learn how to recognize mental illness symptoms, where to find resources and support, and how to talk to friends who might be struggling.

 Nov 27, 2018 - We understand that smartphone and social media overuse can be toxic for teens (and, frankly, for all of us). But do we understand why? 

 Oct 14, 2018 - Against the national landscape, one 15-year-old shares her story, her struggles and how to survive. (Illustration by Jeff Geortzen, Orange County Register/SCNG) ... October 14, 2018 at 8:00 am | UPDATED: October 15, 2018 at 9:54 am ... new waves of unsuspecting and naive teens meet online predators ... 

 News. Digital predators, teen victims, Part 2: After sexual assault, a life is shattered ... (Illustration by Jeff Goertzen, Orange County Register/SCNG) ... PUBLISHED: October 14, 2018 at 8:00 am | UPDATED: October 15, 2018 at 9:49 am .... races; sometimes there is disassociation to the point where victims report out-of-body ... 

 The mother of a 15-year-old assault victim stands in court, glances at the man her daughter met on the Internet and, knees shaking, begins to read. 

 "The purpose was to seek the concrete numbers that prove the Child Lures program is effective in student retention of concepts related to sexual abuse, abduction, and other heinous crimes upon children. Through the pre and post-testing comparison of numbers, the overall growth in the experimental group provides a foundation of proof that the objectives sought by the program's 

 YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat are the most popular online platforms among teens. Fully 95% of teens have access to a smartphone, and 45% say they are online 'almost constantly' 

  Texas PTA first became involved in the work to reduce bullying in 2011, when we worked with legislators to pass a law strengthening guidelines for dealing with bullying in the schools. At that time, cell phones were still scarce in the schools, and administrators were reluctant to support laws that required schools to confront cyberbullying, but we saw where things were heading. We knew that while this legislation was a necessary first step, the issue was evolving, and we needed to stay on top of it. So, Texas PTA continued to monitor the prevalence of cyberbullying among students and developed programs to educate parents about the emerging phenomena and how to deal with it at home.Then, in 2016, with suicide on the rise among victims of cyberbullying, Texas PTA began to plan a more focused bill. “David’s Law” honors the memory of David Molak, a 16-year-old student from San Antonio who committed suicide in January 2016 following relentless online harassment. David’s family was determined to do everything they could to eliminate cyberbullying. They formed David’s Legacy Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending cyber-assisted bullying by educating communities about the harmful effects of cyber abuse, providing support for victims, promoting kindness, and supporting legislation that prohibits cyberbullying of minors.The Molaks led the charge to pass legislation strengthening the law passed in 2011, so that school leaders would have clarity on their responsibility in investigating allegations, informing both law enforcement and parents of suspected cyberbullying, and, when appropriate, disciplining the cyberbully. From nearly the beginning, Texas PTA joined forces with the Molaks—working side-by-side leading up to the legislative session to ensure passage of a new bill. This was no easy task. While it was clear that cyberbullying had become an epidemic, there was still opposition to the bill.To gain the support necessary for the bill to pass, we spent many hours in meetings with legislators and advocacy groups and made a few changes to the bill’s language on their recommendations. Leadership within Texas PTA testified multiple times at committee hearings, prepared and distributed background information, participated in press conferences, and wrote op-eds and letters to legislators. Grassroot members participated in multiple action alerts to urge support for David’s Law. At Texas PTA’s Rally Day in February 2017, PTA members advocated for David’s Law in meetings and even on the steps of the state capitol.📷The new law made many changes to how schools could and should operate:

• Schools in Texas now have the authority to address cyberbullying that occurs off-campus;
• They must notify a victim’s parents of the incident within three business days after it has been reported and notify the parents of the aggressor within a reasonable amount of time;
• They must create procedures for students to anonymously report incidents;
• They may expel students who engage in serious bullying, including bullying that encourages a student to commit suicide, incites violence against another student, or involves releasing indecent photos of another student;
• They have strong protections from civil or criminal liabilities when reporting criminal bullying to law enforcement officials;
• They must provide mental health education;
• They must expand the role of school counselors to include mediating conflicts among students.

We hope that other state PTAs will consider working to support similar legislation to protect our nation’s most valuable resource—our children. Texas PTA was proud to work with the Molaks to pass David’s Law and we have continued with this partnership. The Molaks regularly present at Texas PTA conferences and provide information about David’s Law through PTA communications. 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- To ban or not to ban cell phones in schools is a decision all school districts have to make. There is no denying cell phones are a distraction, but they can also be used to enhance the curriculum and used during emergencies.

Germantown High School takes a restrictive approach to cell phones in school. In fact, students caught with their phones can be fined up to $218.

The School Resource Officer says students 16-years old and younger face a $124 ticket. This is where the money goes:

$50-Germantown Police Department police department

$33-Court costs

$5-state

$13-drug fee-state

$10-jail assessment -Washington County Jail

$13-goes to a penalty assessment (state)

Students 17 and older face a $218.50 fine.

“There is a municipal ordinance which means that if they're in violation of it or non-compliant they can be ticketed,” Germantown High School Principal Joel Farren said.

The school has been banning cell phones since 2006.

Six students have been ticketed so far this school year, 159 students fined since the policy went in place.

“I think students are much more engaged and focused on academics and being with each other,” Kellie Hasbrook, Germantown High School Student said.

Students at Germantown High School can't have their phones on them, but Principal Farren says they have a plan for emergencies.

“We have 20 people with security radios in the building,” Principal Farren said. “We have an elaborate lockdown system. Every classroom has a phone.”

Now, other schools, like Menomonee Falls High School, are turning to Germantown for inspiration to create their own cell phone rules.

Menomonee's new policy this school year requires students put their phone away during class.

If students are caught, they have to hand it over to the teacher.

“I'm sure that there are some that aren't really happy with me, but the overall information that I've gotten from kids is thank you, you've taken a distraction away from us,” Menomonee Falls High School Principal Robert Vitale, said.

Principal Vitale says he didn't want to completely ban phones because he wants students to learn how to use their phones responsibly

“They can use them in study hall, they can use them in the cafeteria, so getting that college and career feel that there are times when you can use your phone, but there are times where you cannot use it,” he said.

We looked at eleven school districts in Southeast Wisconsin and found that ten ban cell phone usage in the classroom.

Here is a list of some of the schools that ban cell phone usage in the classroom:

This list (first international schools followed by US schools) covers bans of cell phones that occurred after the schools found cell phones in classrooms to be distracting and problematic. It is not necessarily because of the radiofrequency and health issues. This is not a complete list but rather a running list of bans EHT noted in 2017 and will update as we receive updates.   Hyperlinks go to the news article or source. 

If you know of more schools with cell phone bans, please send the information to info@ehtrust.organd we will update this list. 

If your kids spend too much time staring at a screen, wean them off it with these tips.

It's clear that children are spending more and more time using tablets, smartphones and laptops - however knowing what the right balance is can be difficult for parents.

New guidelines published by the UK's Chief Medical Officers have finally given some clear guidelines and while it still doesn't offer a set time limit it does provide clarity around when children should and shouldn't be using electronic devices.

Screen time can offer children opportunities to learn and develop new skills at a touch of a button but like anything, too much of it can have a negative effect on their wellbeing.

As children get older and more independent online, finding the right balance for your family can be challenging but the key is to think about it early on and set some clear boundaries around their online use.

 The World Health Organization issued new guidelines on screen time Wednesday for infants and children under 5. (iStockphoto)By Craig Timberg andRachel SiegelApril 24

The World Health Organization issued strict new guidelines Wednesday on one of the most anxiety-producing issues of 21st century family life: How much should parents resort to videos and online games to entertain, educate or simply distract their young children?

The answer, according to WHO, is never for children in their first year of life and rarely in their second. Those aged 2 to 4, the international health agency said, should spend no more than an hour a day in front of a screen.

The WHO drew on emerging — but as yet unsettled — science about the risks screens pose to the development of young minds at a time when surveys show children are spending increasing amounts of time watching smartphones and other mobile devices. Ninety-five percent of families with children under the age of 8 have smartphones, according to the nonprofit organization Common Sense Media, and 42 percent of children under 8 have access to their own tablet device.

ADVERTISING 

Pediatricians urge parents to limit kids' "screen time".  Her 12-year-old has sneaked a laptop into bed a few times and ended up groggy in the morning, "so that's why the rules are now in place, that that device needs to be in mom and dad's room before he goes to bed.". Sara Gorr, a San Francisco sales director and mother of girls, ages 13 and 15,... 

by S Madigan - ‎2019 - ‎Cited by 3 - ‎Related articles

Jan 28, 2019 - Importance Excessive screen time is associated with delays in development; however, it is unclear if greater screen time predicts lower performance scores on developmental screening testsor if children with poor developmental performance receive added screen time as a way to modulate challenging behavior.