Do you catch yourself living through the lens - that is, taking so many
photos with your phone or camera that you actually missed aspects of
what was going on around you? Does perfectionism play into your
photo-taking or your photo-sharing?
In her book, Screens and Teens: Connecting With Our Kids In a Wireless World, Dr. Kathy Koch encourages adults to consider, as well as model, appropriate technology use for the teenagers in their lives.
Dr. Koch discusses the risks of becoming entangled in narcissistic, "selfie" culture. To counter and remedy this fixation with the self, she emphasizes the value of implementing face-to-face connecting days, as well as setting times for when technology should be put away (e.g., during mealtimes, right before bed, on vacations, etc.). By modeling positive behaviors and routines for adolescents, adults have the extraordinary opportunity to acquaint young people with life outside of the screen. Further, by taking time for "playing," as well as delighting in each other's company, the constant desire to use technology loses much of its former, urgent enticement. Koch notes: "Teens who are loved well and affirmed honestly at home will be less likely to become preoccupied with selfies."
In short: by conducting a self-examination of ourselves, we are able to not only address some of our own opportunities for self-improvement, but also pass along to the young people in our lives both wisdom and anecdotes for bettering their lives, as well as the lives of others.
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