You are receiving this newsletter because you registered for the Square One Presents: Screenagers Elementary School Age Edition Film Screening and Expert Panel Discussion in November 2024. To view this in other languages, click HERE, paste the newsletter URL and select desired language. View this email in your browser

RESOURCES AND PROGRAM FOLLOW-UP

Hello - This bulletin includes resources for parents, families and other caring adults as they navigate screens and social media in the lives of the youth in their lives.

On November 20th, the Square One Collaboration presented Screenagers: Elementary School Age Edition - a documentary film exploring the impacts of tech use on kids’ development and offering solutions for navigating the digital world. Over 122 adults and youth attended the program.

We are grateful for our panelists for their expertise, thoughtful insights and answers to audience questions:



• Kim Tynan, Clinical Director, Westborough School District
• Roger Anderson, Director of Wellness, Westborough School District
• Peter Guellnitz, Principal, Mill Pond School
• Maryann Stannard, Principal, Fales Elementary School
• Dr. Safdar Medina, Pediatric Director at Tri-River Health Center
• Dr. Neal Tyrrell, Pediatrician at UMASS Memorial Medical Center

As we often say, it is important to know you are not alone. We hope attending the program and/or reviewing this bulletin will help you feel more connected to fellow caring adults and the resources you need as you make decisions around smartphones, social media, video gaming, etc.

Please feel free to reach out with your thoughts on this most recent Square One program as well as suggestions for future programs and resources that we can bring to the community.

Thank you,

The Square One Collaboration

EXPERT PANEL REFLECTIONS & TAKEAWAYS

TIP: Did you miss the program in November and wish to see the film. You can check for additional upcoming local screenings of Screenagers Elementary School Age Edition (and all the Screenagers films) HERE.

RESOURCES TO SUPPORT PARENTS & FAMILIES

Screenagers Parent Resources handout from Delaney Rustin, MD and the producers of Screenagers

HERE

Navigating Screens and Social Media

Short film (7 minutes) featuring research, Westborough Public Schools' (WPS) personnel and data, produced by WPS administration, Westborough TV and Westborough Connects. It was shown at Mill Pond Open Houses this fall.

Guidance, Advice & Tips handout developed to accompany "Navigating Screens and Social Media" video HERE.

TIP: Have you already promised or given your child a smartphone and thinks it's too late to make a change? HERE is an article from Dr. Becky that may help you gain some confidence in "walking it back."

Alternatives

Screenagers' Tech Free Gift Guide 2024 HERE

It can sometimes seem that tech gifts are the only things kids want. Find ideas for Christmas, Hanukkah, birthdays and more...

JUST RELEASED: Screenagers' A Smart Guide to Simple (Dumb) Phones and Watches HERE.

Until recently, families' options for giving youth a device were limited to smartphones only. Now, there are many options that provide functionality that parents and caregivers want without full access to the Internet, apps, etc.

Let Grow

Jonathan Haidt's Anxious Generation book has inspired much of the current conversation and coalescing around delaying smartphones and social media for youth. However, it's not just about keeping things away from kids. As Haidt points out, parental trends have shifted to "overprotecting kids in the real world while under-protecting them online."

Let Grow is an organization dedicated to shifting the norms back to raising more independent children and provides resources to support families and schools in these endeavors. Learn more HERE.

TIP: Start a conversation with parents and caregivers of your child's friends, "I've been learning more about the impact of smartphones and social media on kids. I'm thinking about waiting to give my child a smartphone. What are your thoughts?"

What can you do next?

TIP: Invite other parents and caregivers to join you in any of the above. It's easier if you band together with others to "swing the pendulum" in a new direction.

Are you on the Westborough Connects mailing list? Westborough Connects publishes a free monthly newsletter, topic-specific bulletins, notices of free community programs such as these, and other newsletters that may be of interest to you. If you are not on our mailing list and would like to join, click HERE.

2024 Grant Sponsor

Westborough Connects, a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization (EIN # 84-1751472), is a community connector with a mission to help build a thriving, kind, and connected community where everybody belongs. By listening and responding to the needs of the community, we connect people to resources and to each other. We foster meaningful relationships through events, collaborative partnerships and communications.Westborough Connects is the proud winner of the Civic Pride Award as part of the Westborough Economic Development Committee's 2022 Year in Review Awards.