It's October Already? Looking Toward Digital Well-Being Week

BY ANDREW DAVIS

I blinked and now it is October. Okay, that is not exactly accurate. I attended five grade-level coffees, four Gathers, three curriculum nights, two rocking MTS parties in costume, and now it is October. My own new school year resolutions seem like a thing of the long-forgotten past. My guess is that many of you feel the same way. 

Now that we are a month into the school year, it is time to circle back to our goals for the year and get to work. My hope is that one of your goals for the year is to join us in raising children who have a healthy, intentional, and productive relationship with technology. Perhaps you, like me, reviewed the MTS Home Technology Guidelines with your children when they were first published. Needing to be a role model (prerequisite and hazard of my job), the Davis family made family technology contracts. We planned to have a weekly Tacos and Tech Tuesday dinner conversation. And then September happened!

This week I encourage you to return to your plans and center digital well-being. If you wrote a tech contract, pull it out and see if it needs revision. How is that “no devices in the bedroom after X time” plan working? Does it need revision? Do we just need to follow it? If you plan to have a weekly tech-inspired conversation, start with one such discussion this week. I am going to try: When has tech helped us recently as a family? When has it failed us?

For those with older students, the recent NY Times article “Adults Are Panicked About Teens and Social Media. These Girls Have Advice” is a great resource to inspire conversation. I encourage you to ask, “What would you add to the Teen-to-Parent Advice section?” Start with what we, the adults, are doing wrong. That might create more space for your teen or tween to discuss what they could be doing differently.

If you are thinking, “Andrew, it may be October, but it feels just as busy. Those conversations aren’t going to happen,” don’t fret. But do make sure to attend our upcoming Digital Well-Being Week family events!

• K-3rd Grade Families: Lori Getz presents “Creating a Family Plan around Texting, Gaming, Surfing, YouTube, Social Media and More” on Thursday, October 19 from 12:00 -1:00 PM on Zoom. Recording shared later.
•  3-5th Grade Families: We ask that all students and at least one parent/guardian attend the screening and discussion of “Screenagers” on Tuesday, October 17 at 5:30 PM. Pizza dinner provided.
• 6-8th Grade Families: We ask that all students and at least one parent/guardian attend the screening and discussion of “Screenagers” on Monday, October 16 at 6:30 PM. Pizza dinner provided.

I look forward to seeing you online and in person in the weeks ahead. And, yes, it will be November before we know it!

Andrew