It’s officially pumpkin spice and back to school season! 🍂 🎒
Welcome back to In The Loop!
In this edition:
What’s new with phone-free schools 📵
Beware of AI chatbots… 🤖
A screen-time app that actually works ☁️
Educators! Get The Teen POV on School Phone Policies! 📲
Earlier this summer, #HTS’s very own Kelly Mendoza, Harveer Saini, and Ally, hosted an #edWeb Webinar all about the future of phone-free schools. Over 300 educators and school leaders showed up live, but 1,700 more have watched it since! So, if you missed it, don’t worry! You can still watch the entire recording and get tips and insights into the ways you can approach this phone-free school year.
Calling All New York High Schoolers! 🚨
Speaking of phone-free schools, what if there was a way students could actually get involved and make these policies work for their school? Good news! If you’re a New York high school student, #HalfTheStory is currently accepting applications for the NY Teen Tech Council - a year-long initiative that brings YOU to the table to help implement policies around building/to support building a culture of digital wellness that extends beyond the classroom (and it's completely free to join!).
At #HalfTheStory, we look at both sides of the internet, so here are the latest trends and tips you should know. And who knows…maybe watch out for 👇
🔥What’s Hot:
Feeling overwhelmed, alone, or nervous around back to school? ✏️ We found this TikTok page called SOMETHINGS For Teens, dedicated to making teens feel less alone. Their account features series such as the Teen Survival Guide, Q&A, and even a link for teens to talk to a mentor if needed. 🫂 💜 We at #HTS absolutely LOVE what SOMETHINGS is doing and hope their videos continue to go viral!
What is a personal curriculum? 🤔 There’s a new trend on TikTok about building yourself a monthly “personal curriculum” without the pressure of grades or deadlines. It’s supposed to be fun! The idea is when you have spare time, replace doomscrolling with learning something that you’re interested in or will be useful to you! ⭐️🙌 Check out our very own Social Media U’s wonderful video about this to learn more!
👎What’s Not:
You’ve probably heard talk of “AI Psychosis” recently. This article from TIME explains that while it is not exactly psychosis, those with a family or personal history of psychosis, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia are at risk of suffering from delusions related to AI use. These instances remind us of the importance of seeking support from mental health professionals, friends, and family, and recognizing the limitations and risks of relying on generative AI tools.
Instagram, but for iPad? 🤔 Instagram has launched their new update specifically for iPad users, as the app has never been previously formatted for an iPad. But it’s not the same as Instagram for mobile phones…it doesn’t take you straight to the homepage. Hear our very own Ally explain this update and what it means!
If your school is going phone-free this year, what are you doing to navigate this drastic change? One NY Teen Tech Council member, Jacob, shares three things he’s trying this year including bringing Uno and the latest Hunger Games book to school! Check it out!
What happens when you combine a Tamagotchi with a Pomodoro Timer? Focus Friend is a new app created by Hank Green that encourages you to take back your time and ditch the scroll with the help of a cute bean that knits socks (not sponsored, we just love the app)! 🧦🧶
LIGHTS! CAMERA! ACTION! 🎬 At this year’s Digital Civics Academy, we took our New York students to First Stop News where they got to film a couple of roundtables giving candid thoughts on being a young person in this digital age! Tune in to a discussion on what they really think about screen use.
Thanks for scrolling along with us! Don’t leave us on read…subscribe…we’ll be back next month! In the meantime, stay 'In The Loop’ daily by keeping up with us @halfthestory on all socials! 🤩
P.S. if you made it this far…don’t forget to apply to the NY Teen Tech Council!
