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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 6, 2019)
8 November 2019 • www.baker5j.org Sources Child Mind Institute • www.childmind.org American Academy of Pediatrics • aap.org Common Sense Media • commonsensemedia.org Features recommendations on games, apps, and movies Wait Until 8th • www.waituntil8th.org This website, and the accom- panying Facebook page, offers studies, stories, and advice relating to the use of smart- phones. It recommends delay- ing a smartphone until at least eighth grade. Bulldog Pride Baker School District 5J 2090 Fourth St. Baker City, OR 97814 541-524-2260 www.baker5j.org Baker School District Staff: Editor Lisa Jacoby: Writer, photographer, designer School board: Chris Hawkins, Katie Lamb, Kevin Cassidy, Andrew Bryan, Julie Huntington It is the policy of the Baker Board of Education and School District that there will be no discrimination or harassment on the grounds of race, color, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, age or disability in any educational programs, activities or employment. Persons having questions about equal op- portunity and nondiscrimination should contact the Su- perintendent at the Baker School District Office at 2090 4th Street, Baker City, OR. 97814 , Phone (541) 524 -2260. All Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs in this school district are open to all students. The District will take steps to assure that the lack of English language skills will not be a barrier to admission and participa- tion in CTE programs. ∙Section 504 Compliance Officer, Special Education Director, 2090 4th Street, Baker City, OR. (541) 524- 2260. ∙Title II Coordinator, Director of Curriculum, 2090 4th Street, (541) 524 -2260. ∙Title IX Coordinator, Special Education Director, 2090 4th Street, Baker City, OR 97814 (541) 524- 2260 Bulldog Pride Technology Talk Navigating the world of phones, computers, and games T echnology is part of today's world — the Pew Research Center reports that 96% of Americans own a cellphone, 75% of adults own computers, and half have iPads or tablets. Navigating this world of constant communication is still fairly new for adults, yet today's youth are growing up in the world of technology. "It's our job as parents to monitor and manage it. We have to prepare kids — it's here to stay," said Heather Heriza, a licensed clinical social worker. Heather's husband, Pat, is also a LCSW. Both contract with Baker School District as behavioral specialists. They've done research on technology use, especially when it comes to young chil- dren and teenagers. Technology, as with life, comes with both the good and the bad. Benefits include social connections, creativity, civic engagement, educational uses, and connecting families separated by geography. Risks are: isolation, sleep disruption, depression, obe- sity, and cyberbullying. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests screen time limits for ages 6 and older: no more than 30 to 60 minutes per day on school days and 2 hours or less on non-school days. The time recommendation drops to less than an hour a day for those younger than 6. The Child Mind Institute (childmind.org) offers a wide The best thing parents can do to minimize the risks associ- ated with technology is to curtail their own consump- tion first. It’s up to parents to set a good example of what healthy computer usage looks like. Most of us check our phones or our email too much, out of either real inter- est or nervous habit." She goes on to suggest establishing technology- free zones in the house, and technology-free hours when everyone is off-line. range of articles related to technology, cell phones, and social media use. One story addresses the correlation between social media and de- pression, stating that "A 2017 study of over half a million eighth through 12th graders found that the number exhib- iting high levels of depressive symptoms increased by 33 percent between 2010 and 2015. In the same period, the suicide rate for girls in that age group increased by 65 percent." One reason, the research asserts, is that people, especially girls, compare themselves to photos of their peers — which oftentimes are altered using filters. According to the Pew Research Center, 59% of U.S. teens have been bullied or harassed online. Cyber- bullying is a term coined to describe bullying behaviors that happen through a text or online app. WAIT Heather Heriza says the acronym WAIT is good for all to consider before posting online. This stands for: Wide audience Affect (Are you angry? Embarrassed?) Intent Timing Remembering WAIT, she said, encourages youth "to think before you put some- thing out there. Everyone can see it — there's no privacy." Modeling behavior Children learn by example. In addition to helping chil- dren use technology in a responsible way, the Herizas encourage modeling appro- priate use. Dr. Catherine Steiner- Adair, a clinical psycholo- gist and author, has studied family dynamics and technol- ogy. In an article titled "How Using Social Media Affects Teenagers," she recommends parents to put down their own phones. She says, "Kids should be used to seeing our faces, not our heads bent over a screen. Effects The long-term effects of screen time are still under study. In 2016, the National Institutes of Health launched the ABCD student (Adoles- cent Brain Cognitive Devel- opment) to track the brain health of nearly 12,000 youth over 10 years to ascertain the effect of screen time. To learn more, visit abcd- study.org. The Herizas offer this part- ing advice: "The short-term effects of unlimited access to technol- ogy are clear as described above and our challenge as individual users, both chil- dren and adults, is to utilize technology in positive ways that minimize the impacts on our social and emotional health. "Our challenge as parents and teachers is to model healthy use of technology and to educate the youth to the good and bad of technology."
