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Community Conversations

Community Conversations with the Board of Education

Dear Parents, Educators, and Community Members,

The rise of smartphones and increased screen time among children and teens has contributed to alarming levels of anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges in our population — most significantly in our children, teens and young adults. Research shows that young people in the U.S. consume unhealthy amounts of screen time daily, which impacts their brain development, emotional well-being, academic performance, and social growth. As a school district, we recognize this crisis, but schools cannot address this issue alone. Meaningful change will require a community-wide effort.

The USD 383 Board of Education is calling on families, teachers, coaches, youth organizations, faith-based groups, and all who support young people to join us in tackling this issue. Reducing screen dependence will take a shared commitment to educate families, promote healthier habits, and provide kids with engaging, real-world alternatives to digital entertainment and socialization.

To foster this conversation, the USD 383 Board of Education is hosting five meetings between spring break and the end of this school year. These gatherings will explore the impact of cell phone use and screen time, behaviors local educators are seeing in our district’s buildings, guidance provided by a recent Blue Ribbon Task Force organized by the Kansas State Board of Education, and discussion about how to change this situation in our community. Anyone in the community is invited to attend any of the meetings. All meetings will take place at 6 pm and are expected to last about an hour:

  • March 25 -- Manhattan High School, Rezac Auditorium
  • April 3 -- Anthony Middle School Cafeteria
  • April 9 -- Eisenhower Middle School Cafeteria
  • April 22 -- Amanda Arnold Elementary School Cafeteria
  • April 24 -- Northview Elementary Multi-Purpose Room


The board is also hosting a Common Read of The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. A book discussion featuring a panel of local experts will be held at the Manhattan Public Library Auditorium on Saturday, April 19, from 10 am to noon. The community is invited to participate. Copies of the book are available for sale at The Dusty Bookshelf and other retailers. Manhattan Public Library and K-State’s Hale Library have physical and digital copies available for checkout. Through a grant from the Manhattan-Ogden Public Schools Foundation, copies of the book have been purchased and will be made available for checkout by staff and families for a limited time at all USD 383 elementary, middle and high schools. 

 

We invite all community members to participate in this important discussion. Together, we can take meaningful steps to protect the well-being of our children. Thank you for joining us in doing what’s best for kids. 

 

Sincerely,

 

Manhattan-Ogden USD 383 Board of Education

Kristin Brighton, President
Katie Allen, Vice President
Karla Hagemeister
Jayme Morris-Hardeman
Curt Herrman
Greg Hoyt
Christine Weixelman

A poster advertising a community discussion about 'The Anxious Generation' by Jonathan Haidt, hosted by the Manhattan-Ogden USD 383 Board of Education.

 

 

A group of people stand together for a community conversation about cell phones, screen time, and young people, hosted by the Manhattan-Ogden USD 383 Board of Education.

 

 

 

 

Research and Resources

This is a compilation of research and resources on youth and cellphones, screen time, and social media.

    • This resource from Cognitive Connections outlines the benefits of play for developing executive function in children and provides links to evidence-based resources for age-appropriate activities.
    • Wait Until 8th is a pledge to delay giving children a smartphone until at least the end of 8th grade.
    • What is Digital Literacy Curriculum? (Learning.com)
    • Common Sense Media published the following article titled “How Much Screen Time is OK for My Kids?” which emphazies how quality of media use if more important than setting a screen time limit.
    • Common Sense Media also provides guidance on assessing the quality of a child’s digital media use in “Are Some Types of Screen Time Better Than Others?”.
    • Healtychildren.org provides guidance on how caregivers can support healthy media habits in the article “Beyond Screen Time: Help Your Kids Build Healthy Media Use Habits”.
    • Healtychildren.org recommedns creating a Family Media Plan to facilitate discussion around safe and practical media use that works for a family’s specific needs.
    • Common Sense Education provides tips, discussion prompts, and activities for families to learn about digital citizenship together.
    • The American Psychological Association recently released a health advisory on adolescent social media use. The advisory explains that social media use is not inherently harmful or beneficial, and offers a list of ten recommendations for adolescent engagement with social media.
    • Focus on the Family provides a faith-based podcast about making healthy media choices.
    • The Archwell Foundation’s Parent Network has a variety of resources for parents on understanding social media and advice about online safety and digital health.
    • Screen Sanity is an international nonprofit that equips parents to be mentors and guides so kids grow up happy and healthy in an increasingly digital world. We offer a variety of tips, tools and tranings, all deisgned to help families maximize the benefits of technology while minimizing the harmful side effects.
    • Healthchildren.org, a project from the American Academy of Pediatrics has a variety of resources for parents on managing screen time.
    • The Common Sense Census: Media Use by Kids Zero to Eight