Jocelyn Brewer - Cut Through Coaching &...

Technology, the teenage brain & teaching:impacts and opportunities

Jocelyn BrewerRegistered Psychologist // Accredited Teacher

The road map

1. Setting the scene2. Basic brain development,

emotional intelligence and 'digital intelligence’

3. The brain on technology4. Digital Nutrition framework5. Practical strategies for

digital(x)

Setting the scene:Young people + technology

2018

What is cyberpsychology?

• Examines how human behaviour (thoughts, cognitions, social interactions etc) is being shaped by consumer technology (digital devices, apps, games, IoT, wearables etc) and implications of this (treatment, preventions etc).• In a school context, for today – we want to narrow this

to how personal digital device use might be impacting learning outcomes (and wellbeing).• The 3D’s: digital distraction, dependency, dementia

@CutThroughHQ // @JocelynBrewer

Are we heading towards…?

We cant put the genie back in the bottle


What do healthy tech habits even look like?

•We don’t have a solid/single playbook for this yet…• Very little evidence of teaching these skills (explicitly).•Whose job even is it?


•Conflict in class over smartphone use/misuse?• Video-gaming, rise of eSports?•Cyberbullying, cyber hate?•Online relationships, image

based abuse?• Sleep issues?• Parents use of technology? • Teachers use of technology?•Other?

What are your current digital challenges?

How are you currently addressing these?

•Guest Speakers? Which ones? •Wellbeing lessons in timetable?•Policy and procedures? •Whole school approaches? PBL?•Curriculum approaches? Embedding?•Other…?•HOW DO YOU EVALUATE THESE?


The course correction has arrived….

Misinformation & moral panic


Media & Information literacy: not just kids’ stuff

Key concepts of good science: quick refresher

• Correlation ≠ causation: consider wider context and factors • The plural of anecdote ≠ data: beware of confirmation bias• No cherry-picking results: view the whole tree and orchard


Basic brain development, emotional intelligence &

'digital intelligence’

The brain = most complex piece of technology on the planet


A handy brain model


Inside the brain: the limbic system & the cortex

Human

OLD BRAIN PrimitiveInstinctualACCELERATOR

NEW BRAIN Developed Rational BRAKES


Emotional Intelligence (EQ)


EQ à

Personal & Social Capability (PSC) in the Aust Curric

Digital Intelligence = #DQSource: www.dqinstitute.org

Beyond #DigCitàDigital Intelligence

Source: www.dqinstitute.org

21st century intelligence?


The teenage brain on technology

The seduction of screens

The brain on likes and epic gaming wins

•Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that signals pleasure.• It fires up the centre of our brain when we do activities that

feel good (eat treats, see a crush etc)•We seek out pleasure (not pain, usually) à so habits form.


The feedback system


Rehearsal + practice à habits form


What are we spending our time practicing & habituating?

The brain on no ‘likes’

Photo credit: Banksy


• Analogy of brain like a set of pipes filling a bucket, too much info àoverflow, the info cant be captured (or remembered).• When we start ‘pouring’ lots of (highly

emotive, visual) information into our brains (from the moment we wake up until we sleep), our pipes & bucket fill up faster with information• Brain doesn’t distinguish bw learning

information and random LOLs.• Infobesity, overload.

The brain on too much information

Ancient brain + information overload

The brain on not enough sleep

• Can you be addicted to a device? Is a heroin user addicted to the syringe?

• Do we simply use the word as short-hand for anything pleasurable/ guilty pleasures?

• What are the implications of calling it addictive, yet expecting its use in school!?

But are devices ‘addictive’?


The gaming mindset = growth

Confused about impacts on mental health?

• UNICEF Innocenti discussion paper by Daniel Kardefelt-Winther (2017)• TL;DR – It’s complicated,

but effect size is minimal, we need to proceed with excellence in research methodology (pre-registration) and multidisciplinary approaches.


The case for Digital Nutrition

(not detoxes or bans)

What is Digital Nutrition™ all about?

• A positive way of talking about technology/device use.• Using the analogy with food to help steer us away from an

obsession with screentime and counting digital calories and towards considering virtual vitamins.• Designing savvy digital habits that keep us at the controls of our

tech use (using our EQ, EFs)• Understanding the mechanisms used by developers to keep us

scrolling & swiping and what ethical tech design looks & feels like.• A hub for trusted resources, ideas and research.


If we ‘are what we eat’ then

• How might we consider more effectively the cognitive, social, emotional impacts of technology?• How do we develop healthy technology habits that

negate the need for digital detoxes?• How do we feed our mind the ‘best’ information and

ideas?• Imagine if apps and games came with nutritional

labels.@CutThroughHQ // @JocelynBrewer

Are there digital ‘junk foods’?

• Repetitive or ’grinding’ activities•Activities which evoke negative feelings•When you use technology to escape or avoid dealing

with your feelings.• Very long stretches of unsupervised/alone time online•Do not contribute to your long term goals.


Are there digital ‘superfoods’?

• Playing and problem solving in teams• There’s a whole movement of gamers and gaming that

are using games positively à ‘serious games’• Playing to relax and unwind, without using it to escape or

avoid•Contributing to conversations, feeling connected to like-

minded people. Talking about your online experiences to others in real life.• Engaging in a diverse array of apps & games• Using (carefully selected)apps/tech for wellbeing/ health

Nutritional labels for apps, games & data?


Consider #VirtualVitamins

•Consider the need to evaluate the ingredients of online activities to credential them better.• EXAMPLES:

Vitamin E = Empathy à an important social-emotional skill, opportunity to enhance connection through exploring stories and perspectivesVitamin C = Creativity à digital creation is more valuable than mindless consumption.


Strategies for implementing

digital(x)

x = intelligence, nutrition, citizenship, literacy, wellbeing

Embed #digcit in a meaningful way


Are your policies student friendly?

•Or do they read like the terms and conditions for a social media site?•Are they in plain language? Do they have meaning to

a young person? Have young people been involved in creating them?• Include positive ways of framing goal behaviour rather

than a long list of misdemeanors, that have no scaffolding or support to achieve.• Is there scaffolding for students to learn the skills

required to ‘obey’ them?@CutThroughHQ // @JocelynBrewer

How do we reach the kids most ‘at risk’?(And most in need of a trusted adult)

THE MAJORITY OF TEENAGERSTHE REALLY GOOD KIDS THE KIDS WHO PUSH BOUNDARIES


SAME WITH THE PARENTS – How do you get to the ones you never see?

Encourage deeper (digital) engagement

CONSUMPTION

CREATION

Amplify the #stuvoice

PSSST:It’s not the iPhones


From Tokenism to Citizenship


Are we listening to young people?

Champion social-emotional learning

Champion #SEL (as the SP capability)

• Embedded in the curriculum as the social-personal capability (aka Emotional Intelligence – EQ), • Emotion coaching helps regulate feelings and responses,

improves ability to cope using adaptive strategies.• The goal is not ‘happiness’ but being skillful in managing

the proverbial bumps in the road (building resilience, distress tolerance and problem solving).• Understanding the nature of adolescence, identity

formation and need to learn through experiences (not theory). •Willingness to ‘be there’ and hold the space as they learn

(and sometimes fail).

Consume ‘digital superfoods’, regularly!

• Use science-backed mindfulness, productivity tools and apps• Try Games for Change & indie games, diversify your digital diet• Get resourced: GameAware in-school program & CheckPoint.org.au


Know your trusted resources

•Office of the e-safety commissioner•Common Sense Media• International Society for Technology in Education

(ISTE) – Digital Citizenship PLN (professional learning network)


Yeah, but HOW???

Digitally Intelligence for School LeadersNovember 2nd, 2018

1 day deep-dive into these issues, models, resources and strategies. Early bird rate!


The elephant in the room

The role of parents in setting limits

• This is a 60-90 min stand alone presentation• Setting guidelines early and consistently. • Technology is not a babysitter!• Understanding the risks and benefits of the online

activities and cognitions that accompany them.•Appreciating online worlds as valid and meaningful

for young people.•Willingness to participate in and/or play games and

understand the attraction, build the relationship@CutThroughHQ // @JocelynBrewer

The power of role modelling

Focus on the human (not the tech)

• ‘Digital mentoring’ not banning or spying is an important role parents/adults play. •Need to weigh up risks with privacy.• Importance of co-watching and co-play is key –use the activity to leapfrog into conversationsabout the content. ITS ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS.•Beware of using tech as a pacifier of way to escape being present to uncomfy feelings


Ditch #screentime

• Latest screen time guidelines are still fairly arbitrary (2 hrs/day)• Ignore the complexities of screen use and contextual factors• Methodologies excluded key research using tablet technology• Reference: http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/parenting4digitalfuture/2018/04/18/advising-on-screen-time-in-australia/


Ask these Q’s about media use instead

Ditch the notion of ‘balance’!?

What do you notice about your own relationship with tech and online activities?

•What are your hot tips and hacks?• How do you juggle

emails – professional and personal?•Do you make time to

unplug?•Where does this fit in to

your self-care?@CutThroughHQ // @JocelynBrewer

Apply the 3M’s Digital Nutrition



[email protected]

@CutThroughHQ and @JocelynBrewer

CutThroughHQ

CutThroughHQ.com/NSWDeps

Jocelyn Brewer - Cut Through Coaching &...

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