DIGITAL ADDICTION: WHY TEACHING AWARENESS MATTERS MORE THAN PROHIBITION

This past school year, I worked with my students on two texts dealing with social media, digital addiction, algorithms and the growing concern about the effects of excessive screen time on young people.

The topic immediately generated lively discussion. Almost every student recognised some of the behaviours described in the texts: checking notifications repeatedly, opening social media apps without a specific reason, losing track of time while scrolling, or feeling the need to stay constantly connected.

As teachers and parents, we often hear alarming messages about social media. We are told that young people spend too much time online, that platforms are addictive and that digital technologies are damaging attention spans and mental health. Some governments have started discussing  or even passed  age restrictions and bans.

Yet I have become increasingly convinced that prohibition alone is not the answer.

What young people need most is awareness.

ROBIN DANIELS, FROM THE HARD TASK OF BEING A TEENAGER TO THE HARD TASK OF WRITING GOOD YA FICTION

I have an admission. This is the first time someone has asked me to write a guest post for a blog. Honestly, I have no idea if this is how it works, but this is how I’m writing it, LOL. Our host suggested I tell you about what writing for today’s young adult readers means to me. But, to do that, I need to tell you a few things about myself first.

 I was raised in a religious home and still hold those values. It’s tough to be a teenager with a moral compass. It’s not considered very cool. I was able to stand up for what I believed in without too much grief because I was cute and a little popular. Even then, my friends teased me in good nature when I used goofy replacements for swear words. Some thought it was flat out weird that I didn’t drink or watch rated R movies. Many thought I was nuts for saving sex until marriage.

But, for the most part, people respected my values and choices. Often, kids chose less vulgar language in my presence or apologized when the f-word slipped out. If I went to a party and was offered a drink by someone who didn’t know me, others would get offended on my behalf. I had a boyfriend for two years who respected me so much, that he went off to college a virgin (though it was definitely not his

WHO R U REALLY? BLOG TOUR - AUTHOR GUEST POST: MARGO KELLY, TEENAGERS AND THE INTERNET

Who R U Really? by Margo Kelly 

 Thea's overprotective parents are driving her insane. They invade her privacy, ask too many questions, and restrict her online time so severely that Thea feels she has no life at all. When she discovers a new role-playing game online, Thea breaks the rules by staying up late to play. She's living a double life: on one hand, the obedient daughter; on the other, a girl slipping deeper into darkness. In the world of the game, Thea falls under the spell of Kit, an older boy whose smarts and savvy can't defeat his loneliness and near-suicidal despair. As Kit draws soft-hearted Thea into his drama, she creates a full plate of cover stories for her parents and then even her friends. Soon, Thea is all alone in the dark world with Kit, who worries her more and more, but also seems to be the only person who really "gets" her. Is he frightening, the way he seems sometimes, or only terribly sad? Should Thea fear Kit, or pity him? And now, Kit wants to come out of the screen and bring Thea into his real-life world. As much as she suspects that this is wrong, Thea is powerless to resist Kit's allure, and hurtles toward the same dark fate her parents feared most. Ripped from a true-life story of Internet stalking, Who R U Really? will excite you and scare you, as Thea's life spins out of control.

Author Guest Post - Teenagers and the Internet

The inspiration for my debut novel, Who R U Really?, came when my daughter was nearly abducted by an online predator.

There are countless—seemingly innocent—online games to play. Regardless if it’s a role-playing game, a racing game, a building game, a chess game, or a social media game … if there is a chat box, there is a danger.

My daughter participated in an innocent online role-playing game where a chat box was necessary to facilitate the game. Because of that chat box, she met a guy. He seemed nice. He seemed to need a friend. He seemed safe. But in fact, he was none of these things.

FATHERS AND SONS, THOSE FLAT ON THEIR BACKS AND THOSE DREAMING OF A WALK IN THE MOUNTAINS ... GLI SDRAIATI BY MCHELE SERRA

Hello everyone! It's been a while,  I know,  since I posted something really personal but here I am, ready to update you about my latest adventures and misadventures as ... a reader . 

I haven't been reading much. Not since my father sudden illness and his too quick departure.  I haven't read much since last December. I don't know why, exactly. I happened to start and immediately drop more than one book. I finished just one and not because I particularly liked it. And of that one I'm going to tell you.
It is a small Italian book titled "Gli sdraiati", in English something like, the lying down, or "those  flat on their backs".  (Apparently,  I am not that good at translating, I can't find a better one for this title, can you?). 

Anyway, the mentioned book is about a father and his relationship with his teenage son. Yes, teenagers.  They are  the lying down .

The more I try to understand them, the more I realize I can't. Is it only me?  It is not just due to the generation gap, it is because I have never been like them. I was a teenager once, I still feel like one at times, but I was never like them. Not like the ones I have in front of me every day, at least. It is like we are not separated by a generation but by an era, a geologic era.

"TEACHERS CHANGE THE WORLD EVERY DAY" - INTERVIEW WITH JOLENE STOCKMAN + GIVEAWAY OF AN E-BOOK COPY OF THE JAWBREAKER

Being a teacher myself, Jolene Stockman's words I quoted in the title sound rather flattering, warming and rewarding. If only we teachers could really feel our work is actually making the difference! Because we hardly ever can. We are often depressed and disappointed by the results we get. Meeting Jolene, though only virtually as well as  reading her book, has been a very enriching and encouraging experience.
After reviewing Jolene Stockman's book, Jawbreaker, I felt I wanted to know about her experience with teenagers and how she came to write such an interesting and useful guide. That's why I asked her to be my guest and to answer a few questions.  

I read your book and found it very interesting (my review's HERE) and my first question is as a teacher to teenagers. In your opinion should a teacher be to them  more an educator, an instructor or a motivator?

Ooh, I have had some amazing teachers! In my opinion a teacher’s primary role is to educate – but teaching is a profession where you’re so much more than your job description. For students in general, and teenagers in particular teachers can also be powerful role models. My favourite teachers were always the passionate ones. No matter what subject they taught, when they loved it, I could feel it, and that made me want to learn and be better. Teachers show us how to learn, how to live, and (if we’re lucky!) how to access the best parts of ourselves. I was particularly inspired by my Latin teacher, who oozed and sparkled with her subject. Teachers change the world every day,  I’m in awe.

What were you like as a teenager?

As a teenager I was quiet, a straight-A student (PE doesn’t count, right?), and always writing. I was incredibly shy, often playing down what I knew so I wouldn’t have to speak up, and I would panic in social situations. But I knew I wanted to take over the world! So, I joined Toastmasters (an international public speaking and leadership training organisation)  and pushed through my comfort zone to complete their communication and leadership training. I achieved their highest award and started working with other teenagers.