Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash
CHURCH SOCIAL TIPS
Over the next few weeks our kids will be heading back to school. While some look forward to the first day of school, others dread being back on campus. In fact, a recent ABC News report found that nationwide 160,000 kids per day stay home because they are afraid of being bullied.
But staying home no longer provides a safe haven when the bullying moves into the digital space. While previous generations were expected to just toughen up or ignore bullying behaviors, young people today are increasingly at risk of suicide as a result of such harassment. According to a Yale University study, targets of bullying can be two to nine times more susceptible to suicidal thoughts and actions.
For over a decade now there have been calls for social media platforms to do more to protect their youngest followers. This month Instagram announced it will be rolling out new features to help kids guard against bullies. Adam Mosseri, Instagram’s chief executive, said, “We can do more to prevent bullying from happening on Instagram, and we can do more to empower the targets of bullying to stand up for themselves.”
Using artificial intelligence, or AI, technology the platform will analyze posts that may be offensive and will notify the poster that the tone of his or her post may be offensive. Early testing of the feature has revealed that the nudge has led posters to undo their comments.
Another Instagram feature called “Restrict,” allows users to hide comments from specific users without the restricted user being made aware of it.
Another element of the Instagram experience that sparks anxiety for young people is the “Like” feature. The change will not list a number of likes, but would allow users to see who liked their post. It is the hope of the platform to move from being competitive to being more community-based.
These new features exhibit a momentum shift in the social media world that harnesses an emerging technology. Artificial Intelligence is a great tool to detect and deter bullies. It is a good start, but it will take time.
According to Jamie Turner, CEO of 60SecondMarketer.com, “The beauty of AI is that the results of whatever you ask it to do will improve over time. … Eventually, AI will do a much better job than humans could do.”
Many parents struggle with whether or not to allow their kids to have a smartphone and access to social media, in an effort to protect them from cyber-bullying. The organization Wait Until 8th encourages parents to wait until their child is in the eighth grade before giving them a smartphone. A number of schools are adopting the practice and enlisting parents to sign the pledge along with their kids.
Some kids may be reluctant to tell their parents that they are being bullied, so parents should be aware of the signs of harassment.
Look for changes in the child. However, be aware that not all children who are bullied exhibit warning signs. According to stopbullying.gov, here are some signs that may point to a bullying problem:
- Unexplainable injuries.
- Lost or destroyed clothing, books, electronics or jewelry.
- Frequent headaches or stomach aches, feeling sick or faking illness.
- Changes in eating habits, like suddenly skipping meals or binge eating. Kids may come home from school hungry because they did not eat lunch.
- Difficulty sleeping or frequent nightmares.
- Declining grades, loss of interest in schoolwork, or not wanting to go to school.
- Sudden loss of friends or avoidance of social situations.
- Feelings of helplessness or decreased self-esteem.
- Self-destructive behaviors such as running away from home, harming themselves, or talking about suicide.
Parents can also bless their child before they step onto the schoolyard each day and instruct their children to seek the intercession of St. Therese of Lisieux, who was also said to have been bullied.
Finally, parents can employ technology to monitor their kids’ smartphones to protect them from predators and bullies.
Here is a link to an article that lists 10 social media monitoring tools for parents, five for iPhones and five for Android phones: https://famiguard.imyfone.com/monitor/social-media-monitoring-tools-for-parents/
Sherry Hayes-Peirce is a Catholic social media strategist based in California.
