DEPUTY PRINCIPAL'S REPORT

As the Year 12 students finished classes and we farewelled them as a school, it was such a wonderful experience to hear them speak so fondly of their years at our school. While all teenagers have days where they would rather be at home it is heartening to how much they have valued belonging to our community. 

That sense of belonging is deepened when we live out our school values of respect and reverence, where we allow each member of our community to be who they are and accept them without judgement. It would be widely acknowledged that teenagers feel the weight of peer group pressure significantly and in a world that can sometimes be driven by social media, whether we realise it or not, this peer pressure can be amplified. Too often we hear from our students about the anxiety and stress caused by social media used without respect or reverence. Over the last few months, we have seen Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram accounts used to target individuals, both students and staff, in a way that has caused distress, embarrassment and harm. 

The normal etiquette of how we communicate face to face should also be applied to the online world, in addition to some extra considerations. Here are some basic guidelines for young people on respectful engagement with social media.

• Verify your connections - know exactly who you are connecting with
• Keep your settings on Private - make sure you choose who sees your content
• Post wisely - consider very carefully what images and comments you share or post
• Don’t over-friend - resist the urge to gather ‘follows’ just for the numbers
• Be kind, positive and truthful - social media is a great connection, but it can also be used against others. Be kind in what you say, what you post and how you comment.
• Don’t get drawn into drama - if something is starting to feel awkward, uncomfortable or unkind, remove yourself. Don’t get drawn into it and speak to someone about it, your parents for example, or a teacher or trusted adult.
• Have time away from social media - it is a great way to communicate but it is not the only way. Quality time, face-to-face with friends and family is something that cannot be replicated.

Parents have a very important role to play in helping their children develop authentic relationships and this of course includes the way social media is used. While there are risks with online platforms, there are also many benefits and it can help young people feel connected. It can be daunting to have conversations with our children about what they do ‘online’ however it is increasingly important. This article is a good source of information about social media platforms, risks and benefits as well as some great tips for parents. The most important thing is that we are able to support our children and students in engaging online in respectful and positive ways.