Concerned High School Students Address Social Media Abuse

Angelica Almanza from Maria Regina High School (center) with Liam 
Felipe and Ryan Boynes, both of Stepinac High School

Following Week-Long Study, Students Share Insights and Recommendations with Local Leaders in Education, Government and Technology

	A group of concerned high school students from throughout the New York metro area recently shared their insights and recommendations with leaders in education, government and technology to help address Social Media Abuse at a session that was held at Stepinac High School
	The students’ presentations followed their week-long, collaboration as participants in the Scholas Citizenship Program. Scholas was created by Pope Francis in 2013 to bring young people together to empower them to become active and engaged citizens committed to making a positive difference in their communities. The Scholas Global Community is present in more than 190 countries!
	The Scholas Citizenship Program, the first-ever to be held in New York State, began when more than 60 students from eight high schools within the Archdiocese of New York gathered at the all-boys Stepinac to begin their study. In addition to Stepinac, participating high schools included All Hollows High School, Cardinal Hayes High School, Maria Regina High School, Notre Dame High School, Saint Barnabas High School and Saint Raymonds High School.
  Here are highlights of their findings and recommendations:
	The first group’s presentation focused on how the fear of missing out, of being made fun of and peer pressure can result in overuse and misuse of social media.  To counter the negative impacts, the group recommended that high schools host Spirit Weeks comprising daily activities designed to promote individuality and self-esteem.
	The second group discussed the harm that social media can have on mental health, i.e., constant scrolling through feeds can lead to feelings of anxiety and depression and loneliness and it can also be a breeding ground for cyberbullying.  To protect and erase any harmful content displayed on any device, the young investigators recommended the development of an application called ProTech designed to protect users from online harassment and inappropriate content. 
	The third group recommended the creation of an organization, Students Against Social Media Abuse to help prevent young people from becoming addicted to social media featuring an ad campaign with the slogan, “Uplug to Reconnect.” The students also proposed a best video competition (less than two minutes in duration) to be sponsored by the high schools as a highly visible campaign to help raise awareness about the need to foster responsible social media usage.
	The five panelists praised the students for their critical thinking and effective collaboration in recommending initiatives to help address Social Media Abuse.  The panelists were Michael Coppotelli. Deputy Superintendent of Schools for the Archdiocese of New York; Rachel Estroff, Chief of Staff, New York State Senator Shelley B. Mayer; Linda Dougherty, Associate Superintendent for Catholic Identity for Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of New York; John Connolly, Major Accounts Manager of LDI Connect and Kyle O’Donnell, Principal, Sacred Heart High School. 

Read the report at link below. 
https://www.stepinac.org/ourpages/auto/2023/7/7/52343233/Scholas%20Citizenship%20Social%20Media%20Abuse%20Report.pdf