| IMPORTANT LESSONS FOR THE CAMPAIGN SEASON
The race for the White House is especially chaotic this year and older children and teenagers are not immune to the developments unfolding on the national stage. What lessons can we teach them to help process what they’re seeing on their TVs or more likely their cellphones?
President Biden’s decision to bow out of the race and throw his support behind Kamala Harris has caused a frenzy of social media message and memes, many ageist, racist, and sexist in nature, that are popping up on even young children’s and teenagers’ Instagram, YouTube, and TicTok feeds.
While the algorithms on most social media platforms will filter out much of the political noise, don’t be too certain that children and teens are shielded from hateful rhetoric. While most kids are going to scroll right past them, the constant stream of name calling and racial and gender stereotypes will seep though.
The assassination attempt of former President Trump in Butler, PA, was a shocking moment for our country, but for PA kids, it was literally close to home. Unanswered questions exist around the shooter but there are takeaways for adults, children, and teens.
1. Look out for one another. News reports say that the shooter was likely bullied in school but not all kids who are bullied resort to violence. Nevertheless, it never hurts to remind our kids (and ourselves) to be nice to one another. On top of that, before the school year starts, learn if there’s an anti-bullying policy in your local school district to be sure it’s a safe and welcoming place.
2. Don’t blame gun violence on mental health issues. “Mental illness is a weak risk factor for violence despite popular misconceptions reflected in the media and policy,” according to recent research. Dismissing violence as the lone action of a “crazy” person increases the stigma around mental illness and deters people from asking for support.
3. Guns and violence are never the answer. The saturation of guns in our society (including the AR-15, a military weapon that is shockingly easy to purchase in PA) has made it too easy for young people to resort to deadly force. We need to get guns out of our communities and give frustrated young people the skills to solve conflicts and make amends peacefully
Talk with your kids about the messages they’re seeing and hearing. If your child comes to you with a political question, experts recommend talking about values not candidates so teach children how to process what they’re hearing against their values and experiences. Don’t dismiss their questions but don’t overwhelm them with personal attacks on candidates, rumors, or soundbites.
We have months to go until Election Day so the barrage of campaign ads, tweets, posts, reels, videos, etc. will continue. Let’s come together in support of our children – register 18 year-olds to vote, take time to learn with them where candidates stand on the issues, and help them filter out the negativity. Our kids – and our democracy – depend on it. |
