Talk, love still best tools for parents to help kids avoid harm from drugs, social media

The only thing more stressful than being a teen navigating high school is being the parent watching over that teen.

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This always has been a fact of parenthood.

But with the double-edged sword of social media as well as the even more potent and dangerous drugs on our streets, the job for parents is harder than ever.

To address these issues and arm parents with the tools to keep their kids safe, Tempe Coalition and the Tempe Union High School District hosted a town hall at Corona del Sol High School featuring a panel of experts on social media and drug abuse.

First up was Katey McPherson, executive director of Gurian Institute, an educational  organization. McPherson gave the audience a quick lesson in biology, explaining the fundamental reason why teens do the things they do: their partially developed prefrontal cortex.

This portion of the brain that moderates decision-making and social behavior is not fully developed until later in life—age 22 for females, 30 for males.

To this last fact, Tempe Police Chief Sylvia Moir playfully quipped, “Sounds like I won’t be getting much sleep tonight; we just hired six males in their mid-20s today.”

Jokes aside, McPherson assured parents this was no laughing matter.

“It is your job to be your kids’ prefrontal cortex. Listen to your kids and help them navigate this world of social media because it isn’t going away; it’s advancing.”

Next up was Dr. Norman Saba, a pediatrician who addressed technology’s detrimental effect on students’ grades.

For example, device use in bed before sleep damages serotonin levels, which leads to impaired sleep.

Additionally, there’s the possibility a child will get stressed out from cyber-bullying or other issues all too common on social media, which can lead to the release of the chemical cortisol that impairs short term memory and further harming a child’s chances of success in school.

After learning about the problems posed by technology, the town hall became even more serious as Stephanie Siete spoke about the dangers of drug use.

Siete explained that the marijuana on the streets today is vastly different from 40 years ago, with a much higher THC content that leads to even more serious psychoactive effects.

Siete also addressed new spins on old drugs like the popular vape pens for tobacco and sometimes even marijuana, as well as “wax,” a form of cooked weed that is made with butane. Siete advised parents to set their limits and stick to them.

“Heighten your standards and expectations for your children. If you set a low standard and expect your kids to abuse drugs, they will.”

Evolution is a slow-going process, so the problem of a half developed prefrontal cortex in teenagers will persist for the foreseeable future, said the panel.

In the meantime, organizations like Tempe Coalition are here to educate parents on how to protect their children. Siete commended the parents in attendance for taking the time to educate themselves. “You can’t rely on schools (alone) to raise your kids. Talk to them. Love them, because the opposite of addiction is connection.”

 

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