Living in the real world
Earlier this week, I enjoyed a couple of days in the glorious Peak District with a Y10 Duke of Edinburgh expedition. Many of you know that pupils are only allowed to carry one emergency phone per group in a sealed plastic envelope (and easily accessible to all group members). They actually really enjoyed the digital detox, as they had plenty to keep them occupied, both when out walking and at the beautiful campsite. In their quieter, resting moments, they either enjoyed chatting, admiring the sunset or making their own entertainment.
You will know that most pupils out this week either have no phones with them or have limited access. They are accompanied by staff and there are carefully considered risk assessments in place. This is simply much healthier, and they gain more from the experience without distractions.
I am in the process of reading a book entitled 'The Anxious Generation' by Jonathan Haidt, an American social psychologist. He maps the rise in anxiety amongst teenagers to the development of the smartphone and additional functionality such as social media, front-facing cameras and 'follows' and 'likes' - what some psychologists are referring to as a ‘screendemic’. We have unleashed unfettered access to all sorts of risk, while at the same time becoming much more risk-averse in the real world. Our teenagers have not been equipped with essential skills such as resilience, because we have shielded them excessively from the risks of unsupervised outdoor play, where they would in previous generations have worked out their own levels of risk and appropriate behaviour.
Duke of Edinburgh is, of course, one activity where we deliberately expose our youngsters to quantified risk, so that they have to make their own decisions and manage the unexpected, especially when supervision is remote. Every group got a bit lost this week, but they all emerged with smiles on their faces and having learnt from the experience!
So, over the weeks ahead, please allow your children to spend time individually and with others, creating their own entertainment - but not if it involves unmonitored and unlimited access to the virtual world. Only this week, I have read about a police investigation into a group of teenage boys who have created deep fake nude images of girls at a nearby school, with both schools in the independent sector. Apps such as 'nudify' are sadly easy to find and to use, and our pupils are not immune to this. We are at last beginning to realise as a society that greater controls are needed on this virtual world because of the very real impact it has on our children’s lives.
I'm grateful too for my smartphone as an adult, as I was able to draft this week's blog while waiting for DofE groups at a checkpoint - even if I did accidentally delete half the content at one point!
Best wishes,
John Watson
Headmaster and Principal