Teaching and Parenting the Snapchat Generation

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teens-phones-text-technologyWhen Winter Park Health Foundation (WPHF) staff met with leaders from WPHF’s twelve partner schools in the beginning of the 2015-16 school year, the principals were asked to share their top school health related concerns. Unanimously, the principals spoke about social media —

In direct response to these concerns around social media usage, WPHF invited Jerry Ackerman, a nationally known student motivational speaker and social media expert to our community to speak to students and parents.

On Tuesday, Jan. 26, Mr. Ackerman presented to all Winter Park High School (WPHS) marketing classes which are focused on leading the Live.Life.Healthy (LLH) campaign.  Launched about four years ago with grant support from WPHF, LLH was created to generate a buzz among WPHS students about the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.  In order to reach as many students as possible, LLH uses social media such as Twitter and Facebook to share their healthy lifestyle messages.  Mr. Ackerman provided students information on how to respectfully use and make an impact with social media.  Students also learned what it means to have digital citizenship and respect for others online and how to handle conflict without using social media.  The students will be sharing what they learned through LLH activities.

On Wednesday, Jan. 27, Mr. Ackerman provided a parent presentation entitled “Parenting the Snapchat Generation” at Glenridge Middle School.  Mr. Ackerman spoke to a packed room of parents eager to learn how to deal with the Jerryonslaught of technology so their children’s use of social media is appropriate and safe.  During his presentation, Mr. Ackerman gave parents a current look into the state of technology in a student’s life, rules parents should have for technology with their child, and an overview of apps parents need to understand.

WPHF is conducting follow up surveys to determine the impact of Mr. Ackerman’s presentations.  If the information was well received, WPHF will consider bringing Mr. Ackerman back to the community for future presentations.

Questions?  Contact [email protected] or 407.493.9703

Slides from Mr. Ackerman’s parent presentation are available via the Healthy Kids Today website www.healthykidstoday.org – Parenting the Snapchat Generation