Here is the latest edition of YouthMoves – a news-sheet for people interested in youth issues in Australia

WELCOME

Welcome to the latest edition of YouthMoves, a newsletter for those who work with and want to understand Young Australians.   YouthMoves exists to give ‘snatches’ of youth news, info and resources relevant to busy people relating to young people.  

What’s in this issue?

-     Teens and mobiles: convenience or curse?

-         Sayings from parents of teens!

-         How to make an office environment teenage friendly

-         How to discuss depression with teenagers

-         PLUS find out about useful youth resources

-         PLUS find out about upcoming youth events

-         **Innovate Special** on Kirrilie’s new book “The Years that Count” and the accompanying seminar “Helping Teens through Senior School”

-         Our contact details

-         How to unsubscribe OR join up friends and collegues to this newsletter

If you would like to see the back issues of Youth Moves log onto our website www.innovateonline.net

If I can assist your work with young people in any way (by offering counselling services, speaking/training or just answering a question about youth issues), please feel free to phone me on 8357 1711, or email innovateks@chariot.net.au.

TEENS AND MOBILES: CONVENIENCE OR CURSE?

The Sydney Morning Herald last week discussed mobile phone text messaging in teens.  With great concern they quoted a teen’s essay that began:  “my smmr hols wr CWOT.  B4 we usd 2g2 NY 2C my bro, his GF & thr 3 :- kds FTF, ILNY its a gr8 plc”.  I get these kinds of emails every day-I’m good at translating!  For those of you who are still learning, here’s the translation;  “My summer holidays were a complete waste of time.  Before, we used to go to New York to see my brother, his girlfriend and their three screaming kids face to face.  I love New York.  It’s a great place.”  Many people are outraged about this form of communication.  I frequently hear claims that young people today can’t spell, write or read. Despite what we hear via the popular media, there is little formal evidence for this belief.  In fact what evidence we do have suggests that young people’s communication skills are better than those of previous generations.  Young people today are being taught to think about language, express their own views and are encouraged to use a variety of methods of communication and expression, rather than memorise a spelling book.

Let’s be pragmatic about this issue; text messaging is simply a tool.  There are potential advantages and disadvantages in the use of this tool. SMS use can be problematic in schools – it is a potential distraction to students, it can be used to bully/harass others, it can increase pressure on parents to buy mobiles and pay bills and it increases tensions between the “have mobile” and “have not mobile” groups.

However, there are also advantages to this tool – it allows increased communication and relationship between teenagers; a definite benefit for most young people, especially given that the most well-adjusted teenagers are those with high-quality relationships with their peers.   I talk with many teenagers who, while too shy to approach a peer face to face, are able to do so via texting them.

Texting also offers an alternative communication method between adults and teenagers.  Given that teenagers can be difficult to communicate with at the best of times, we can do with all the help we can get in this area!  I often SMS my teen clients to remind them of appointments, or check how they are doing. 

Texting also allows increased supervisory abilities for parents (they can text them to remind them to come home, check where they are, set an alarm on their phone to signal curfews), thereby increasing parental peace of mind and teenagers independence.

Using text messages to communicate is here to stay – for all of us.  The challenge now is to develop strategies to minimize the potential dangers of texting, and harness the advantages.  The potential to do this is endless.  One English teacher had a great idea - set assignments in which students have to trnsl8 (translate) text messages into formal English!

QUOTE OF THE WEEK FROM A PARENT OF A TEEN

Once I was the Sun and the Moon in my child’s eyes.  Now I’m the Chauffer and Chequebook!

MAKING OFFICE ENVIRONMENTS TEENAGE FRIENDLY:

Have appropriate magazines & music available.  Food –especially sweets! – goes  a long way in helping teens feel comfortable.  Teen friendly Health promotion posters are available from  the Women’s and Children’s hospital.  Set up chairs so that people are not always facing each other directly, but create “corners” with privacy.  Put signs up to give info/set out rules so teens don’t have to ask too many questions.

NEWS AND EVENTS

An interesting conference about spirituality and its place in Youth Suicide is coming soon:  Held in Brisbane in June:  interested?  Check out www.suicidepreventionaust.org

Young film-makers might be interested in submitting their short films/scripts ASAP to The Short Festival (sponsored by Loki Enterprises).  Call Garth on 0408 491 618 for details.  The festival is going to be held in Bondi in June.

Noise is a national media based festival to promote young artists/musicians/actors and other creative young people.   Noise has media connections across Australia and wants to promote young creative people throughout October 2003.  For info ring 1800 003 552 or go to www.noise.net.au

Applications from international youth 14-18 years are sought for adventure challenge in Canada July 2003.  Youth participate in physical and mental challenges and discuss global issues.  Info and applications – www.lifeweb.org

FORUM – HOW DO I TALK ABOUT DEPRESSION WITH TEENS?

Dear Kirrilie.  The teenagers in my class are very aware of youth suicide and depression.  Should I talk to my class about this issue?  How do I go about it? – Concerned

Dear Concerned.  A recent survey indicated that many teenagers put youth depression and youth suicide as one of their top worries.  It is important to clarify this issue however.  Most young people are not depressed (only 5% of teenagers at any one time meet the full criteria for a depressive episode) and it is very rare for a teenager in Australia to suicide (less than 0.00016% will do so).  Youth depression and suicide is a serious issue that as a society we need to address, but I believe that our preoccupation with this problem (partly via media reports) is overblown.  Young people pick up on this, and also, are generally more concerned than they need to be.  We need to reassure young people that although some people do get depressed, and some do suicide, this is not common.

Having said this, feeling down and overwhelmed by life is a common experience for teenagers.  It is certainly worth addressing these feelings in the classroom.  I suggest you talk about “What to Do When Life Hurts”.  Get teenagers talking about the kinds of problems teenagers face, the emotions they experience when these problems arise and the kinds of things people do when they are hurting.  As a class:  come up with lists of positive coping strategies, brainstorm about why people often don’t use those coping strategies and  identify ways of overcoming barriers to using these strategies.  They could act out role plays of people actually using positive coping strategies.  I run a program called Parachute, which helps teens deal with tough times, before they occur.  For more info about this program, go to the site at www.innovateonline.net 

Best Wishes.  Kirrilie

RESOURCES

What kinds of effects does pornography have on teens?  Download a helpful discussion paper at www.tai.org.au/WhatsNew_Files/WhatsNew/DP52sum.pdf

A positive, fun website for girls in Year 7-9 is www.girlpower.gov/ It is sponsored by the US Dept Health

A helpful resource book for beginning teachers, from the University of Melbourne – has discussion ideas, practical materials and links.  Only $17 from The Youth Research Centre, go to www.edfac.unimelb.edu.au/EPM/EPSSbook/

Recent surveys show our knowledge of Hepatitis C is poor.  Given that there are over 210,000 Australians with Hep C, many of them young people, it is worth getting info from the Australian Hepatitus Council, ph. 026232 4257 or going to www.hepatitisaustralia.com

Want to expand teenagers’ knowledge of worldwide human rights issues?  Need some info yourself? Go to the Human Rights Watch World Report 2003 for assessment of human rights practices in 58 countries: www.hrw.org/wr2k3/

INNOVATE SPECIAL

We are currently running a SPECIAL on our book “The Years that Count” and the accompanying seminar “Helping Teens through Senior School” .  Ring 8357 1711 for details of this special!

Produced by Kirrilie Smout, Psychologist and Professional Speaker specialising in Australian Youth Issues. Kirrilie is available for keynote presentations, training, counselling/assessment of young people, and offering comment on youth issues.For information please contact Innovate Psychology and Education:  phone 8357 1711 or go to www.innovateonline.net

To unsubscribe to this newsletter just send us an email at kirriliesmout@innovateonline.net.

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