Social Media Expert Max Stossel Presents to RPS Parents and Students

Instagram. TikTok. YouTube. Snapchat.

In a relatively short period of time, these social media platforms have become a part of our everyday lives. While the potential is certainly there for social media to enrich our lives and better connect us, we’re increasingly seeing the opposite, with social media use being tied to increased anxiety, depression, and addiction to the platforms themselves.

What can we do about these more troubling aspects of social media?

Last week, the Health and Wellness department at Rutgers Prep welcomed social media expert Max Stossel, who presented to Middle and Upper School students on the hazards of social media and hosted a highly-informative webinar for RPS parents entitled "Social Media and Your Kids."

After working at a major social media platform himself, Max has spent the past seven years speaking with over 100,000 students, parents, and educators around the world about social media's impact on our lives.

Max provides a unique and much-needed perspective on the role of technology in our homes, schools, and in our society and offers very practical and useful advice and resources for making that technology work for us, rather than the other way around.

The title of his presentation for students, “We’ve Been Sneaking Into Your Brains,” seemed appropriately on the mark.

According to the U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, up to 95 percent of teens ages 13-17 use a social media platform, with more than a third saying they use social media “almost constantly.” The report indicates social media can harm the mental health and well-being of children. Research has concluded that children who spend more than three hours per day on social media face double the risk of experiencing poor mental health outcomes, such as symptoms of depression and anxiety. To read the full study, please visit this link: Social Media Advisory.

While the statistics seem staggering, Max shared some tangible steps you can take to help your children with social media. They include:

Taking some time over the next week to begin a discussion with your child about social media use
Trying a phone-free zone at the dinner table
Leading by example and examine your own social media use
Setting some social media rules or boundaries and include your children in the process
Implementing a cell phone “away for the day” experience

In addition, Max also recommends the following parent and student resources for further discussion: