PROLOGUE 1. Landscape: What Today's Social Media World Looks Like for Tweens and Teens The New Language of Technology and Social Media So Much Has Changed, Yet So Much Remains the Same How Social Media and Technology Affect the Overall Educational Experience Summary 2. Background: Where We've Been, Where We're Going, and Why It Matters How We Got Here The New Social Media Why All of This Is a Big Deal in Terms of Tweens, Teens, and the School Experience Summary 3. Side Effects: Five Ways Social Media Affects Today's Tweens and Teens Altered Expectations Mixed Messages Information Overload On-All-the-Time Mentality "All About the Likes" Personal Values Development Summary 4. Conversations: How to Talk About Social Media Understand the Language and the Lingo Use the Framework of Socialization, Self-Regulation, and Safety Recognize the Importance of Attitude and Approach Make It All About Them Help Them Identify Their Values Encourage Them to "Get Real" About Daily Choices and Habits Work Collaboratively to Come Up with Acceptable Use Policies A Word About Technology Addiction Summary 5. Academic Wellness: Organization, Compartmentalization, and Energy Management in the Age of Distractions The New Language of Technology in Schools How Social Media and Technology Affect Academic Wellness Optimizing Organization with Virtual Folders and In-Real-Life (IRL) Binders Mapping Out Assignments and Activities Managing Time and Energy Stress: The Art of Monotasking and Encouraging Personal Productivity Finding Flexibility for Different Learning Styles The Cheating Dilemma Summary 6. Social and Emotional Wellness: Encouraging Students to Be Healthy Online and In Real Life The New Language of Social Media Socialization How Social Media Affects Friendships, Relationships, and Personality Development Helping Students Figure Out Their "Why" Encouraging Students to Define Qualities of Healthy Relationships Recognizing Negative Compensatory Behaviors Understanding Connection Versus Isolation Closing the Empathy Gap and Cultivating Compassion Promoting Appropriate Social and Emotional Boundaries Developing a Plan for Guidance and Support Acknowledging and Validating the Bystander Experience Summary 7. Physical Wellness: Finding Balance in an Unbalanced World The Teetering Imbalance Promoting Sleep Encouraging Stress Management Focusing on Functional Exercise Understanding Addiction Knowing the Signs and Getting Help Protection from Physical Harm and Danger Summary 8. Moving Forward: Implementing the Strategies at School and at Home Things to Think About at School Reflecting as a School Things to Think About at Home Reflecting on the Home Front Recommended Reading List Acknowledgments Endnotes Index
Students can quickly become overwhelmed trying to manage the daily confluence of online interactions with schoolwork, extracurricular activities, and family life. This is the first book to successfully decode the new language of social media for parents and educators and provide pragmatic solutions to help students become more organised and productive by managing distractions and focusing on what they need to prioritize. With fresh insights and a solutions-oriented perspective, this crucial guide will help parents, educators and students work together to promote healthy socialization, effective self-regulation, and overall safety and wellness.
Ana Homayoun is a noted teen and millennial expert, author, speaker, and educator. Her work focuses on promoting organization, time-management, personal purpose, and overall wellness for young people. Her first book, That Crumpled Paper Was Due Last Week: Helping Disorganized and Distracted Boys Succeed in School and Life, quickly became a classic among parents and educators for the pragmatic approach to executive functioning issues. Her next book, The Myth of the Perfect Girl: Helping Our Daughters Find Authentic Success and Happiness in School and Life, explores the real-life dilemmas of young women today and provides strategies for finding authentic success and happiness. Her latest book, Social Media Wellness: Helping Teens and Tweens Thrive in an Unbalanced Digital World, decodes the new language of social media socialization, and provides practical strategies to encourage better choices online and in-real-life. In addition to her individualized consulting services, Ms. Homayoun travels around the world working with schools, and frequently provides parent education, student presentations, and professional development presentations. Her work has been quoted or featured in the New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, USA Today, San Jose Mercury News, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, and ABC News, among others, and is a frequent guest on NPR. She is the founder of Green Ivy Educational Consulting, a Silicon Valley-based educational consulting firm. For more information, please visit www.anahomayoun.com and www.greenivyed.com.