Hello everyone – Update below covers the following:
- Reminder for Friday June 14th Board Meeting at 11am (more details below)
- On a slightly different topic I feel compelled to share a perspective on impact of social media on our kids and ways we can advocate for them in MHUSD schools (more details below)
- Mark your calendars - Tuesday June 18th Regular Board Meeting at 6pm at the DO. Budget and LCAP approval/disapproval would be on the agenda.
1 ) Friday June 14th Board Meeting at 11am
I previously shared a post about the budget and Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) preparation for June 4th meeting. Unfortunately, during the June 4th meeting, we didn’t adequately cover the budget, which took place at 11:30 PM. Feel free to use this update and the following content for your public comments:
Regarding Agenda Item E4: Maintenance Allocation (Fund 14) & Adult Education (Fund 11)
It’s essential to recognize that Measure G is intended for maintenance purposes. However, over $800K of these funds was diverted to maintenance and renovations at the FACE center. This money should have been prioritized to maintain school facilities directly, rather than using general funds (as I believe is proposed on the agenda of June 14th meeting) for maintenance. More clarity on this item is crucial. This situation highlights the district’s challenges in responsibly managing additional taxes. For more details, please refer to the update I provided on Measure G.
Adult Education: The district’s allocation of funds to various programs often relies on survey results from Hanover. However, the recent adult school survey raises significant red flags. I’ve elaborated on this issue in the end of my update, which you can find here.
As we approach the County’s deadline for providing a detailed budget plan by Dec, reinstating the Budget Advisory Committee with community input becomes imperative.
2 ) Sharing a perspective on impact of social media on our kids and ways we can advocate for them in MHUSD schools
In a recent episode of Adam Grant’s Work Life podcast, Rebecca Solnit, an American writer, delves into the impact of diluted public discourse on social media. She explores how we can revive meaningful conversations online and emphasizes the importance of recalibrating our opinions in our digital age. The episode resonated with me because it highlights the abundance of information and varying perspectives we encounter, often leaving us feeling uncertain and anxious. This is a new reality we all live in today and it can be particularly anxiety-inducing for adults. I often wonder about the impact on younger minds.
Coincidentally, a passionate parent in our community recently mentioned a book titled The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. This book delves into the causes and consequences of the anxiety and depression epidemic among young people in the Western world. Although I haven’t had the opportunity to read it yet, I know it’s a New York Times bestseller, and Haidt has discussed his findings extensively in interviews (including on the Daily Show and CBS Morning).
What caught my attention when examining his data is that something indeed changed around 2010. The mental health crisis in youth escalated, and Haidt attributes this primarily to two contributing factors: the decline of play-based childhood experiences and the rise of phone-based childhood experiences. According to him, this shift has fundamentally rewired the minds of young people, impacting their mental well-being.
Many of us have witnessed this firsthand—whether through younger siblings, our own children within that age range, or close relatives. We may find ourselves overprotecting children in the physical world while inadvertently underprotecting them in the virtual space. This can have consequences.
While Jonathan Haidt identifies as an atheist or non-religious, he emphasizes the significance of establishing a robust moral and identity foundation for children. Children need grounding in certain principles. Religion can provide that foundation for many, fostering a sense of community and a reality that helps anchor young minds. For those of us without religious views, the task becomes creating that moral compass by building a strong community to nurture our children’s sense of identity and belonging. This preparation is essential as they navigate the virtual reality they will inevitably one day face.
The community (parents, friends, neighbors, educators, and trusted mentors) play a vital role in shaping a child’s moral compass. Conversations about kindness, honesty, and compassion contribute to this process at an early age.
Encouraging our kids to explore their interests, passions, and talents contributes to their identity formation. Feeling valued and understood within the real community reinforces this process. And as they get older and more grounded in the real world, teaching them critical thinking, social media literacy, and digital citizenship helps them navigate online spaces responsibly and gradually.
It’s important to note that social media and access to information have certainly had a positive influence on our lives too. Social media can be an avenue for many to seek help, share experiences, and find support. Striking a balance and ensuring a healthy introduction of our kids to social media are crucial steps to minimize the negative impacts on them.
Coincidently, I also stumbled upon a new docuseries on Netflix titled “Dancing with the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult.” This series sheds light on the vulnerability of Gen Z, especially in the context of today’s social media landscape, where overexposure can have negative effects.
As Haidt points out in one of his interviews, the moment a child receives a smartphone, they gain access to the entire world, while simultaneously allowing the world to access them! The reality for almost all Gen Z youth is that, in some cases, they experience their lives through the lenses of their virtual reality. The line between the two can become blurry, while the impact on their mind is drastic.
Haidt also proposes solutions to address the overexposure and rewiring of children’s brains. However, solving this problem requires a collective effort. His approach can be summarized as follows:
- Promote Play and Exploration: Encourage children to engage in unstructured play, explore nature, and develop resilience. This helps build emotional strength and coping mechanisms.
- Limit Screen Time: Be mindful of excessive smartphone and social media use. Set boundaries and encourage face-to-face interactions.
- Teach Emotional Regulation: Equip children with tools to manage stress, anxiety, and negative emotions. Mindfulness practices and emotional intelligence training can be helpful.
- Foster Community Connections: Create supportive communities where young people feel connected, valued and grounded.
- Advocate for No Phone Schools: Help adults/educators understand the impact of technology and the importance of face-to-face interactions during school breaks/recesses. From what I’ve gathered, Britton is not strictly a no-phone school. Martin Murphy, on the other hand, seems to be better in this regard.
In conclusion, the impact of social media on our youth is a multifaceted issue that requires careful attention and collective action. Rebecca Solnit’s insights on the dilution of public discourse highlight the need for meaningful online interactions among adults, while Jonathan Haidt’s book underscores the critical shift in childhood experiences driven by technology. The mental health crisis among young people, marked by heightened anxiety and depression, calls for a balanced approach to social media usage and a strong foundation in moral and identity development. As a community, we need to encourage more play, limit screen time, teach emotional regulation, grounding principles, social media literacy, encourage critical thinking and foster supportive environments such as No-Phone Schools. By doing so, we can help our children navigate the digital landscape responsibly and ensure their well-being in an increasingly connected world.