Social media talks at schools

Whether they’re permitted to be or not, the fact is that a lot of school kids are on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and SnapChat. Remember how you used to get in trouble because you would spend all day with your friends at school and then come home and talk to them for hours on the phone? Well, social media is the new THAT.

It’s a great way for them to stay connected with their friends all day long, sharing photos, videos laughs and making plans.

The thing is, when you’re digitally surrounded by your friends, it’s easy to forget that these platforms are not safe little social bubbles – they are public platforms. And they can get kids into a lot of trouble, sometimes even when intentions are entirely innocent.

While school learners are digital natives and are very comfortable with these digital platforms, their parents and teachers, as digital immigrants, are not always as comfortable. They sometimes avoid having the all-important “how to be safe on social media” conversations with their kids because they don’t understand the platforms themselves or are unwilling to venture into these murky waters – so where do they even start?

Pomegranite offers social media talks at schools (both primary and high schools) which can be tailored to address the issues specific to your school. For example, would you prefer a talk on bullying on social media or how to stay safe on public platforms – or both?

I recently gave a talk to the grade 4s and 5s at Auckland Park Preparatory School about social media and bullying, and it was a great success. The girls were FULL of questions at the end, and one little girl even put up her hand and told me she loved my nail polish. Winning!

Here’s what their teacher, Vicky Hyland, had to say:

Thank you for a great talk around Social Media for our Grade 4 and 5 girls at APPS. It was pitched at the right level. Your examples were current, relevant and practical. The idea of interaction as well as questions at the end of your talk worked well.

It also highlighted for all the teachers sitting listening how vital a talk of this nature is.

All our pupils are making use of the platforms in one form or another. The girls themselves said how informative your talk was, particularly empowering them on their respective platforms of choice and making them feel safer.”

If you’d like to chat to us about giving a talk, please get in touch.

[Feature image courtesy freedigitalphotos.net]

2 Comments
  • pomegranite

    August 19, 2014 at 1:41 pm

    Are you being cyberbullied, Shirley? I’d be happy to arrange a private seminar over coffee if you like. 😉

  • Shirley

    August 19, 2014 at 1:36 pm

    I need to attend one of these talks please