COVID-19 & A Wired Family’s New Virtual Social Media Presentation Offerings

In March of 2020, we sent a survey to nearly 200 schools to determine if the COVID-19 virus would require that we provide additional options beyond live social media training. As we mentioned in our last email, the majority of schools responding to our survey had significant interest in virtual solutions to the issues of social media education. Moreover, many requested solutions that allowed schedule shifting — due to the need for flexibility.  To that end, we are happy to announce that a Wired family will now offer the option of our presentations as either live or virtual for students, parents, and staff this school year.

To help you envision our virtual option for adults, we have provided the following overview of the topics covered.

If you are interested in a preview of these virtual presentations for parents or staff, please contact Mary Beth Smith at: marybeth@awiredfamily.org  

To be eligible for a preview, you must be part of a school, school district, diocese,  mental health, or religious organization.

Demos of our virtual presentations for students will be available at the end of July.

The adult presentations are a little over 90 minutes in total,  but are broken down into those 4 areas described above. Once contracted to provide the actual presentations for your audience, each parent or staff may view the videos  over a period of 10 days before access is discontinued.  The upcoming student version is about 50 minutes long and divided into 4 sections with the same viewing flexibility for the teacher over 10 days.

The topics discussed in the student presentations include:

1. Introduction Into why apps are free
   1. The business behind apps
   2. How apps may become addictive
2. How our online actions can be judged by others
   1. How college coaches, future employers use social media to judge the character of others
      1. The importance of “character”
         1. Interviews with college coaches and security professionals
         2. Interviews with Human Resource Professionals
         3. The technology that allows others to make decisions about you
      2. How artificial intelligence will impact your future
3. How apps, smartphones, and networks invade your privacy
   1. Devices that steal your info without warning
   2. How the cloud is your best friend and worst nightmare
   3. How to use technology to help your future
4. The role technology might play in your mental health
   1. How dopamine plays a role in your use of apps
   2. Interviews with psychologists
   3. The increase of teen depression since 2007
   4. How bullying and cyberbullying impact mental health
   5. How to help yourself and others use technology for good

With the interest in these programs growing significantly over the last month, please be sure to schedule a presentation as soon as possible by contacting Mary Beth.

As we have for the last 11 years, we are also still happy to provide our live presentations to students, parents, and staff when it is appropriate. We know each state and school will vary in this decision.

We hope you have a wonderful and safe summer. As always, thank you so much for all that you do for our community.