Parent Education: Growing Up in Public with Devorah Heitner [Online]

Kids are growing up in a hyper-connected world. How can we help our kids navigate coming of age in a world where nearly every moment of their lives can be shared and compared? What does it mean to be "famous" these days? We can track our kids’ every move with apps, see their grades within minutes of them being posted, and fixate on their digital footprint, anxious that a misstep could cause them to be “canceled” or even jeopardize their admission to college. All of this adds pressure on kids who are coming of age and immersed in social media platforms that emphasize “personal brand,” “likes,” and “gotcha” moments. How can they figure out who they really are with zero privacy and constant judgment? Devorah Heitner shows us that by focusing on character, and not the threat of getting caught or exposed, we can support our kids to be authentically themselves.

Join us to learn:

• How parents can mentor children as they grow up on Instagram, TikTok, Discord, and other social media apps
• How parents can help kids be thoughtful about their digital footprint and reputation.
• Strategies for teaching tweens and teens to recognize how social media affects their mood and mental health and when to take a break.
• How can we help our kids not get too focused on appearance and body image when they are constantly being photographed?
• How to work on sleep habits to balance screen time and getting enough rest.
• How to support kids in staying true to themselves as they grow up “in public” on social media apps.

Dr. Heitner is the author of Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive (and Survive) in their Digital World, a guide to mentoring digital kids. Growing Up In Public draws on Heitner’s extensive work with parents and schools as well as hundreds of interviews with kids, parents, educators, clinicians, and scholars. With relatable stories and research-backed advice, Growing Up in Public empowers parents to cut through the overwhelm to connect with their kids, recognize how to support them, and help them figure out who they are when everyone is watching. Dr Heitner’s insights have appeared in the Washington Post, New York Times, Fast Company, CNN Opinion and Real Simple, etc. Dr. Heitner has a Ph.D. in Media/Technology and Society from Northwestern University and has taught at DePaul University and Northwestern University. She is delighted to be raising her own teenager, too.

Presented in partnership with D96, D102, D103 & D125 Parent Programming and the Vernon Area Public Library.