Junior School

Technology Obsession

In his book iDisorder: Understanding our Obsession with Technology and Overcoming Its Hold on Us, Dr Larry Rosen, Professor of Psychology at California State University discusses changes that occur to the brain’s ability to process information and the capacity to relate to the world due to daily consumption of media and use of technology. This obsession with technology can result in signs and symptoms of psychological disorders (which Dr Rosen has labelled ‘iDisorders’) such as stress, sleeplessness, narcissism, and a compulsive need to check in with our technology.

These days, students have more access to technology and their own personal devices than ever before, so it is certainly worth considering Dr Rosen’s research and the potential effect of technology obsession on our boys and their own individual development. To assist your son in switching off from his device each day, Dr Rosen suggests a number of various recommendations: 

• Ensure your child gets a full night’s sleep and that mobile phones are switched off overnight and ideally, kept in a different room. If a student wakes in the night and checks their phone, however briefly, this will interrupt his sleep patterns for that night and disrupt essential memory processing. 
   
• Convene regular family dinners (three-four times a week for 30-40 minutes) where technology is forbidden at the table; parents included! Dr Rosen points to the fact that many parents are also obsessed with technology and are modelling these behaviours to their children, such as by not paying full attention when their child is talking to them and instead answering messages or emails on their phone at the same time. Dr Rosen believes that many adults are prone to being self-interrupters and sometimes unwittingly train their children that if a device buzzes, beeps, or vibrates, they should immediately check to see if there is something that should be attended to right now. 
   
• Given the pervasiveness of technology in our lives, as well as the fact that technology evokes high levels of mental activity, we need to start taking technology ‘time-outs’ to reset our brains and refresh our capacity to process information. Students should be encouraged to take a 10-minute break from technology once an hour or parents might even encourage their children to allocate at least one day per week when technology is not used for a significant portion of that day. Ultimately, the aim is to give the brain a chance to slow down and rest by doing something that does not involve electronic devices. 

Year 5 and Year 6 Celebration of Learning Events

A friendly reminder to all parents and carers that next week, both Year 5 and Year 6 will be holding their own Celebration of Learning event across our Junior School classrooms. This parental engagement opportunity will take place for Year 5 parents/carers on Wednesday 13 September, and for Year 6 parents/carers on Thursday 14 September. On both days, the event will begin at 2:30 PM and conclude at 3:30 PM and parents/carers are warmly invited to attend their son’s specific classroom on the day.

During the sessions, students will present different samples of work across chosen Key Learning Areas. The boys will also have several questions prepared beforehand for parents to ask them about in order to promote further discussion of their learning.

Parents/carers are also asked to please take the time to view the work that other students are presenting, rather than solely focusing on their own son as some students may not have parents/carers present. Any students who need to leave school at 3:10 PM to catch public transport will be allowed to do so.

Our students and staff are very much looking forward to welcoming those parents/carers who are able to join us next week for either of these special occasions! 

If you have any queries or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me via email (glenn.stephenson@spc.nsw.edu.au) or phone (8705 9247) and I will endeavour to assist you in any way that I can.

May God bless you,

Glenn Stephenson

Director of Junior School