St. Nicholas Catholic School has scheduled a free public screening of a documentary about the perils of social media and technology for teens 7 p.m. Tuesday (Jan. 22) on campus, 12816 El Monte Road, Los Altos Hills.
The film, “Like,” will be followed by a panel discussion featuring experts on teen mental health and technology.
“There’s 101 issues, but this one seems to have the most stickiness,” said Frank Wood, president of St. Nicholas’ board. “How do we handle our phones?”
Wood said he’s hoping parents walk away with an understanding of how pervasive the problem is and how damaging social media can be to teens’ psyches, as well as strategies for how to support their kids.
Jennifer Delia, a longtime parent-volunteer who will moderate the event, said the goal of the gathering is to serve as a conversation-starter. Last year, the school hosted a screening of the film “Angst” by the same production company, IndieFlix, which showcased the problem of student stress.
“It was a great bridge between kids and parents,” Delia said of “Angst.” “Even my own daughter was like, ‘Yeah, I feel that,’ and I was like, ‘What?’”
Delia said she wants parents to understand the world their teens are living in – with its constant requests for attention and affirmation. Panelist Kathy Lincoln, social-emotional program manager at St. Francis High School, will address how pervasive and damaging social media and technology can be for teens, while Veronica Foster, a mindfulness therapist, will explain how the brain responds to the stimulus of a “like” on Instagram.
And Delia said she’s hoping teens walk away understanding that the very devices and apps that are so hard to put down were actually designed to be so hard to put down. Google Inc. Vice President of Material Design Matias Duarte will speak to the idea that tech companies are trying to design devices to be as engaging as possible.
The event is designed for parents and children in fourth-grade and up.
To RSVP and for more information, visit tinyurl.com/yd8w65q7.
