Jump Up For Kids upholds the belief that a connection to nature is a necessity not a luxury. We use natural spaces, as a therapeutic space and tool, with the aim of counteracting aspects of the modern world that hinder the healthy development of children.
In view of our mission, there has been a consistent and increasing tension about the role of social media in connecting with the Jump Up For Kids community and sharing information.
More and more we are talking with parents about the:
challenges of managing their own screen time use
challenges of managing their children’s screen time use
impact screen use has on getting through daily routines & activities
impact being in front of a screen has on their child’s ability to manage emotions
increasing prevalence of addictive behaviours.
There is a rapidly increasing body of research outlining the harm being done to our bodies, minds and spirits and the destructive changes within our society. These harms are broad, troubling and far reaching. They include:
Child & Adolescent Development - developmental delays, increase in suicide, physical and social challenges, permanent changes in brain structure that impact how children think, feel and act throughout their lives
Attention and Cognition - loss of crucial abilities including memory, focus, problem solving and the ability to be present with each other
Physical and Mental Health - stress, loneliness, feelings of addiction & increased risky health behaviours, which impacts happiness, self image and mental health
Social Relationships - less empathy, more confusion and misinterpretation, less connected to those around us, social isolation
Sense Making - misinformation, conspiracy theories and fake news, propaganda, disrupted democratic processes, amplification of sexism, racism, homophobia and ableism; reduced capacity to understand and act on complex global challenges.*
We are committed to sharing our knowledge and successes with our community and we are greatly appreciative of the support and interest in our work. We have however made some considered and very deliberate decisions about how we will share information about Jump Up For Kids moving forward. We have decided:
To shut down our facebook, twitter and instagram accounts
Continue to share information via email and our website in the hope that recipients can make more conscious choices about when they access this information
Reduce the number of photos taken during Jump Up For Kids programs so that we are modeling positive screen use behaviours to children and increasing opportunities to enter a flow state.
This is a small but significant change for Jump Up For Kids. Our hope is that, this small change might in some teeny tiny way:
Reduce distractions in your life
Encourage you to manage your on screen time more consciously
Increase face to face time with your family and friends
Help you to be a positive screen time role model for your children
Allow you to be more present in the moment
Get you thinking about small changes you can make in the way you and your family manage screen time.
By being more intentional and making conscious decisions about social media use, we strive to remain true to our vision and mission and keep the health and well-being of the children and families with whom we work at the very center of our practice.
We do appreciate your support and we do want to stay in touch. Ways that you can keep up to date with what’s happening at Jump Up For Kids:
Save our website in your favourites and check it during your scheduled ‘web time’
Sign up to get our emails (usually one per school term), by entering your details on our Contact Us page.
Thank you for reading all the way to the end. Now we’d love it if you turned off your device and spent some time outside with friends and family.
*Full details of research indicating harmful effects of social media and technology use, refer to Centre for Humane Technology, Ledger of Harms
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