A group of Roman Catholic high school students from the metro area shared their insights and recommendations regarding social media abuse with leaders in education, government and technology at a recent conference at Stepinac High School in White Plains.
”¯The students”™ presentations followed a weeklong collaboration that began June 23 as they participated in the Scholas Citizenship Program, created by”¯Pope Francis”¯in 2013 to encourage young people to become engaged citizens. While the”¯Scholas”¯Global Community embraces more than 190 countries, this was the first Scholas program in New York state, with 60 students from eight high schools in the Archdiocese of New York taking part. In addition to Stepinac, the high schools included All Hollows High School, Cardinal Hayes High School, Saint Barnabas High School and St. Raymond High School for Boys, all in the Bronx; Maria Regina High School in Hartsdale; and Notre Dame High School in Manhattan.
”¯Here are some highlights of the students”™ findings and recommendations:”¯
The fear of missing out, being ridiculed and peer pressure can result in overuse and misuse of social media.”¯To counter these effects, the group recommended that high schools host”¯Spirit Weeks”¯comprising daily activities designed to promote individuality and self-esteem.
Constant scrolling through feeds can lead to feelings of anxiety, depression and loneliness, becoming a breeding ground for cyberbullying.”¯The group recommended the development of the application ProTech, designed to protect users from online harassment and inappropriate content.”¯”¯
”¯The participants also recommended the creation of an organization, Students Against Social Media Abuse, featuring an ad campaign with the slogan “Uplug to Reconnect.” The students further proposed a best video competition, with videos less than two minutes in duration, to be sponsored by the high schools as a highly visible way to help raise awareness about the need to foster responsible social media usage.
”¯The adult panelists heeding the recommendations were”¯Michael Coppotelli, deputy superintendent of schools for the Archdiocese of New York;”¯Rachel Estroff, chief of staff for New York state Sen. Shelley B. Mayer;”¯Linda Dougherty,”¯associate superintendent for Catholic Identity for Catholic Schools of the”¯Archdiocese of New York;”¯John Connolly, major accounts manager of LDI Connect, a tech company based in Jericho, New York; and”¯Kyle O”™Donnell, principal of Sacred Heart High School in Yonkers.
