One Assumption Allowed at the Crossroads for Teen Girls on Social Media

“But here is the strangest paradox of Time that it can only be managed in a very small-time frame called TODAY. And TODAY can sometimes be sparked by a tinier matter of CHOICE.” Teen Girl Faces Time in the Sand

In Geology, a younger rock formation isolated among older rocks is called an outlier. So, if an older person stands up among younger people to share wise experience is she also an outlier because she cares?

Can we set the table for discussion with some common assumptions?

...The internet revolution is here to stay and grow exponentially.

...Social media will be the communication channel for better or for worse.

...Almost all levels of mainstream culture are digitally disrupted with necessary adaptive changes.

...Teen culture is the more vulnerable because adolescent brains are still in formation to build a rationale frontal cortex for deductive thinking.

Are we at a crossroad with 4 different settings or solutions for teen girls?

One: Everything is fine … they will grow out of teenage angst on social media … maturity is a step away at 20 years as independent, competent adults.

Two: There are serious problems with internet exploitation of teen girls via various platforms, body images, psychologists’ reports re depression, etc.

Three: Follow much advice about tactical control tips for parents, self-esteem worksheets, meditation practice, new curriculum objectives re sexting, etc.

Four: Change internal MINDSET that my OFFLINE TIME in my space is more important than ONLINE TIME in somebody else’s virtual reality.

Main Assumption:

What is the best way to overcome conditioned reflexes and relearn new mindsets?

Two considerations:

Best way to break a habit is to find reasons to reset new behaviors …

…but how can teen girls do this when everyone expects them to be like all the others?

Best way to undo conditioning is to recondition with a new mindset …

...but how can teen girls be mentally and emotionally aware of the need for change when nobody else is changing?

Do you know any teen girl who will repeat Dr. Phil’s words: “I am so sick to death of this social media that I will not put up with this for another second, for another minute of another hour of another day.”

Scariest thought of all: Are we losing a generation of teen girls because long term social consequences aren’t a priority in this new online social experiment?

New theory: show teenagers there is another reality far more important and more valuable than social media gossip, games, being influenced, liking and looking for approval from strangers with arbitrary codes.

HOW? Consider the one commodity that all teen girls have in common … namely, TIME and how they spend it.

Therefore, how can time be understood better, described and managed, using symbols when necessary?

NEW STORY WITH LESSON PLANS

Tell a story based on the theme of time within a broad overview. A teen girl narrates her story of making some bad choices about Selfies and drugs pointing to a symbol of the Social Media Circus impacting an adolescent brain in a dream. She keeps asking, “Is it my fault?” Her grannie helps to explain the transition of time as experiences with symbols in the sand and the power of choice made in reference to a timeline with 3 essential questions. Redemption follows with new mindset to believe in Self not Selfie.

Practice basic comprehension lesson plans to help reinforce many basic timely ideas within context.

EXAMPLES:

-Diagram the main parts of the brain and draw how powerful neurons connect.

-Predict rites of passage on a 100 year old timeline.

-Integrate a word web beyond self to community and society.

-Draw new calendar of time based on experiences not dates.

-Note differences between choices, habits and decisions.

-Practice making reality smart choices with 3 timely questions.

-Connect morals to self-esteem with actions as a mind map.

-Compare time charts between online activities versus offline.

-Finally celebrate MY TIME like a Mandela of vision … no cellphones allowed.

“Yes, Katherine, there is life beyond the small screen face.”

The story takes about two hours to read. The exercises may take longer. But, at least, perhaps, a SEED may be planted that holding a timeline in your hand is your responsibility. Perhaps, a mental page may turn to being a special Self not a media Selfie.

Could this be a better antidote than taking the cellphone away or writing a daily journal when their future adulthood may be on the line? Is this a better way to relate to morality in our culture when some people think amorality is the new normal?

As a citizen of the world and a teacher who deeply respects education within its range of understanding the total unit, the Big Picture, I worry about other long-term options. The truth is we are in the middle of an unprecedented confluence, “a tide in the affairs of teenagers” where the “current we take” will either “serve or lose our ventures.” …adapted William Shakespeare. I hope we are not too late in turning the tide.

I sometimes wonder if our society may be losing a generation of young women to the siren calls of a Social Media Clown Face. Teen girls probably cannot write a story like this when their brain like a train is just leaving the station on route to their media destinations where one wrong mistake can derail a lifetime.

Finally, mass media has created this situation and mass media can help to reduce some of the undesirable effects. Imagine how a good film producer can produce a wonderful short movie with TIME as a radial center to respect the rites of passage for young women.

Questions and comments are always important. What are other options? Has our culture crossed the line or not? Has it done enough to protect our amazing teen girls?

Sincerely,

Annemarie Berukoff

Excerpt: “It is starting to make sense. My Experience of Life will not be planted by a Celtie Selfie in a social media circus. The circus is in town, but I don’t have to go to every show.” Teen Girl Faces Time in the Sand — a Timely Tale of Social Media Struggles, Regrets and Survival with Superpower Tool

Note Kindle e-book: https://www.amzn.com/Bo8117R369

If anyone is still on the fence about the radical changes happening to our teen culture from this unprecedented living experiment, then watch this YouTube video.

Childhood 2.0 is required viewing for anyone who wants to better understand the world their children are navigating as they grow up in the digital age. Featuring actual parents and kids as well as industry-leading experts in child safety and development, this documentary dives into the real-life issues facing kids today — including cyber-bullying, online predators, suicidal ideation, and more.

Social Media Dangers Official Trailer — Childhood 2.0