KICKING THE TECH ADDICTION: PART III
Source/Author: Mike Murphy, Headmaster
January 20, 2017
Part I of this series presented a link to Simon Sinek’s interview about Millennials, which I maintain is an unfair characterization of a generation but a good warning to all of us who use technology and social media.
Part II was my focus on the section of his interview related to technology use and its impact on relationships.
Part III is about boundaries. Setting appropriate boundaries for ourselves and the people around us is one of my favorite topics and a valuable life lesson that my friend Zac has drilled into me during many wilderness and other wild excursions. His “obsession” with boundary setting in relationships started with his observation that people who play the roles of victim, bully and rescuer get caught in a very familiar cycle of behavior that does not lead to healthy relationships or boundaries. This is right out of Psychology 101.
What does this have to do with technology addiction? As parents/guardians and teachers/ administrators we make choices in how we want to create and enforce behavior in our homes and schools. While it may be simple to think one can say, “This is my house and my rules…” or “This is my school and our rules…” most of us realize that the people who live with us and attend our school are individuals with their own thoughts, desires and beliefs. I find that autocratic, dictatorial approaches to managing homes and schools fail when they do not have the buy-in from the rest of the family and community.
Those who wish to have family dinners or family vacations often have to contend with extracurricular activities, jobs and summer study programs that put a serious kink in the plan. Similarly, any administrator who wants to institute drop-off and pick-up guidelines for a school soon learns that members of the community often have their own ideas for what works for them. In short, establishing boundaries can be hard work.
Being educated and realistic about social media and technology requirements is important when trying to set boundaries for technology and social media use. Sinek provides some thoughtful information to begin the educational process.
Our most recent guest author and speaker, Katie Koestner, is another source for information. I trust most children can also find sources they want to add to the discussion. On top of providing education so an informed discussion can take place, we need to understand the demands and desires of the tech users. Do teachers require collaboration away from school? What are the different ways this collaboration can be achieved within the extracurricular schedules of all the participants? This begs the question, “Is the social media source needed for work or for pleasure?”
The point here is to encourage boundary setting that makes sense to parents and children alike. In many cases this is not easy. In many cases a clear guideline will not be easy to achieve, and in other cases compromise can be just as challenging.
Yet, as we strive to rear and educate this generation, we know that guidelines for technology use are as important as guidelines for vehicle use. No responsible person would give a young person a car without lessons and guidelines. Similarly, we now have the same responsibility with social media and technology use.
The school has a responsibility to support parents. However, even though we provide driver education classes, and lessons on appropriate use of technology, the school is not solely responsible for providing sensible guidelines. We share the responsibility with our parents and guardians.
Shorecrest will continue to support you as we all strive to rear and educate the next generation of leaders and healthy citizens. Even if their cars are driverless and even if they somehow select a career and lifestyle that is void of technology, we have an obligation to prepare them for the opportunities that are going to be available.
Cheers!
Mike
Mike
P.S. For families who may have missed the guest speaker Katie Koestner, or for those who want to learn more, SCA is offering copies of Ms. Koestner’s DVD "Cybersmarts Compendium," full of resources and best practices. Each DVD contains more than 300 pages of resources and is available for $50. To purchase please contact Julie Cenedella in the Shorecrest Administration Office at [email protected].
