Child Safety & Wellbeing
Making Time for What Matters Most
Welcome back to the start of another term. I hope you all had a restful break and took the opportunity to recharge the batteries, spend quality time with loved ones and found some moments to find stillness and time in nature. I recently read an article that found that spending just 15 minutes in nature can improve wellbeing in a myriad of ways, from increases in mood and positive feelings to improvement in cognitive performance such as attention and memory tasks as well as the physical health benefits including a reduction in blood pressure and resting heart rate. A link to the article can be found here.
Spending time outdoors is also a powerful remedy to screentime exposure which we know can have adverse and deleterious effects on our mental health and wellbeing, especially amongst young people. I am reminded of our Parent Spotlight earlier in the year where we were fortunate enough to hear from three leading experts from three different vantage points around our interaction and relationship with screens and digital media.
One of the key take aways to aid in reestablishing a healthy and more meaningful relationship to our screens was the setting of clear boundaries. This included:
Charging them overnight in a central location that is not a bedroom,
Restricting use of personal devices to communal areas (i.e. the lounge room or rec room) and having screen-free mealtimes,
Having capacity to control or limit access to wifi and data,
Having an open dialogue around the screentime control settings, opening up the conversation around why these are put in place and ensuring there is an understanding around the intention of social media companies and the like
Challenging young people to realise that social media companies do not have the user in their best interest, rather, they reap all the rewards and profits.
Part way through last year I attended a professional development day hosted by Ecumenical Schools Victoria who had invited a researcher from Melbourne University by the name of Dr Scott Griffiths. Dr Griffiths presented compelling research into the way social media algorithms are being designed to maximise engagement. In other words, companies like Meta (Facebook), TikTok, X (formerly Twitter) and the like are very intentionally designing their products to grab and sustain your attention through their algorithmic design, continually feeding users with content that is increasingly provocative.
After attending this PD I was curious to know more about the correlation between the design of these algorithms and how this affects the neurochemicals in the brain. My question was, why is scrolling through social media so addictive, and what drives this addiction? It was interesting to learn that the ultimate driver of our interaction with social media is dopamine.
Dopamine is one of the major reward and pleasure neurotransmitters in the brain. It motivates us to do things we think will bring us pleasure. There is nothing inherently bad about dopamine, it gets released when we eat something delicious like chocolate, after exercise and when we have successful interactions.
However, the important thing to note is that not all dopamine release is equal.
Dopamine can be released either immediately, or it can be delayed depending on the activity or interaction. For example, our brains release dopamine immediately after scrolling through social media because we are engaged with the content and become hooked to the positive feelings of likes and notifications. Whereas, if we delayed the reward through exercise, impulse control or practicing mindfulness the prefrontal cortex, the parts of the brain involved in planning, abstract thinking, cognition, emotional behaviour, memory, etc., become active. This is the feel-good effects of going for a run or spending time in nature. This is also the rewards we get when we feel connected with each other through genuine and authentic interactions.
By including these practices into our days, we can start to reduce the burdens of anxiety, overwhelm and stress. We can begin to see clarity in our thinking and decision-making. We can feel lighter and healthier, physically, emotionally and psychologically. And a good place to start is by spending 15 minutes walking through the park, being mindful of the present moment and enjoying each other’s company.
Raz Sappideen
Head of Wellbeing
Special Report: Mental Health Literacy: A Guided Reflection
Mental health is an essential part of a young person's overall wellbeing, influencing how they think, feel, learn and interact with others. Yet many of us can feel uncertain about how best to identify concerns, start conversations or access appropriate support.
Mental health literacy is not about becoming an expert. It's about recognising when something isn't right, knowing how to respond and understanding where to seek help when needed. By building this awareness and capability, we can play an important role in supporting wellbeing, reducing stigma and encouraging early help-seeking.
This Special Report explores how we can strengthen our mental health literacy and includes a Mental Health Literacy Reflection Tool. By completing a series of questions, you can reflect on your own understanding, confidence and readiness to support the mental health and wellbeing of young people.
It is an opportunity to identify your strengths, recognise areas where you may wish to build your knowledge and take positive steps towards feeling more confident in supporting children and young people.
Jaynie Gorander
Psychologist/Student Counsellor