SL_Education Dept_0423_Layout 1 4 / 27 / 23 4 : 07 PM Page 1 e E D U C A T I O N Brave New World ? “ When I was growing up , we were not always connected , ” he “ Connection burnout ” and other modern says . “ When the school day ended , you went home and relaxed . stressors leave some kids anxious and You could disconnect , so whatever happened at school stayed there . Now , kids are connected all the time , so anything that does struggling to adapt . happen , they’re not able to disconnect from it . It ends up taking on a life of its own . B Y B I L L D O N A H U E “ It’s a highly pressured way of living , ” he continues . “ They never get to disconnect , they don’t want to [ disconnect ] , and they aria Kelly describes her daughter as “ a 13 - year - old don’t know how . … If you take a cellphone away from a kid , you going on 30 in Thunderdome , ” a reference to the see them go into withdrawal , the same as any other drug . When 1985 postapocalyptic action film Mad Max Beyond you cannot disconnect from something that causes intense pleasure MThunderdome . but also pain , where do you go ? ” “ She’s growing up in a world that didn’t exist 10 years ago , ” Ruggiero explores some of the issues affecting today’s youth in says Kelly , not her real name upon request , to save her daughter his forthcoming book , The Fix Your Anxiety Handbook , fromembarassment . “ She stresses out over the weirdest the second in an “ empowerment ” series ; for his next things , but I can understand that , because when you’re ? book , he intends to tackle the issue of depression . 13 , every little thing seems like the most important Considering the fact that children often model the be - thing in the world . She’s also had to deal with a lot of It’s a haviors of the adults in their lives , adults ’ habits and stuff I never had to , especially not at her age . ” highly how they cope with stress can make all the difference The teen years have always been a time when kids between a happy and well - adjusted child and one struggle to figure out who they are and where they fit pressured who feels broken , adrift , and alone . in , but Kelly says it’s harder now . Her daughter has “ When I counsel parents and families , I tell them gotten wrapped up in the “ nonstop drama ” unfolding way of to program at least two hours every night when kids in chats and text chains on her cellphone . Add that to don’t have [ access to their ] cellphones , ” he says . “ I thetraditional teenage challenges of peer pressure , bul - living . recommend doing it closer to bedtime , so they can lying , and the temptation to try drugs and alcohol . start easing down a bit . … By getting away from “ Sometimes I feel traumatized just hearing about ? socialmedia and cellphones , you let them experience the things she has to deal with every day , ” she admits . real life . Let them connect with nature or something else that is not “ But she’s the one who actually who has to live in that world . ” machine - related . ” Faust Ruggiero suggests such experiences have become com - Adults are just as prone to spending too much time on TikTok , monplace.A physiologist based in Bangor , Pennsylvania , northeast Instagram , and various other habit - forming sites , so parents should of Allentown , Ruggiero believes kids today live in a vastly different practice what they preach . world than the one that reared their parents . He cites a phenomenon “ Everyone has to disconnect , ” Ruggiero adds . “ Parents need to known as “ connection burnout , ” in which children are connected disconnect , too . When I go to the supermarket , I leave my phone to their devices — and to each other — almost around the clock . SUBURBANLIFEMAGAZINE.COM VOLUME 14 ISSUE 8 66 |