# Presentation: 802779

## Use of Technology to Forward Prevention

- 9th National GRAA Technical Assistance Conference
- Albuquerque, NM
- January 14, 2007

## The Adolescent Brain:

- Reviewed in Giedd, J.N.  (2004) Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 1021: 77-85.

- Is perfectly designed to:
- Take risks
- Innovate
- Enjoy new experiences

**Notes:**
The human brain is not fully developed until the early 20’s
The part of the brain that involves emotions and sensation seeking matures earlier 
The frontal cortex, responsible for planning, self-control, and decision-making matures LAST
Risk taking is essential for adolescent development

## Adolescent Life in the Digital Age

- 		How do your students learn?

**Notes:**
7 min video

## Technology Provides

- Instant communication
- Enormous amounts of information
- Social networking

**Notes:**
Impulsiveness meets instant communication

Risk taking meets access

Social networking involves both norm setting and social access

## How is Technology Used?

- New gadgets and social media (blogs, message boards, podcasts, video blogs) allow information to reach target audiences faster.
- Audiences can now create their own media messages easily.

## Technology and Risk

- 64 percent of teens who use the internet say that most teens do things on the Internet that they wouldn't want their parents to know about
- Nearly half (48%) of 16- to 17-year-olds report that their parents or guardians know "very little" or "nothing" about what they do on the Internet
- Nearly one-third (29%) of students surveyed said their parent or guardian would disapprove if they knew what they were doing on the Internet
- Source: ONDCP

## Technology and Risk: Social Networking Sites	

- The emerging issues of youth displaying high-risk behavior on social networking sites such as MySpace.com or Facebook.com has become alarmingly problematic, demanding more attention from school officials, drug prevention advocates and parents.

**Notes:**
MySpace allows members to personalize their own Web page and create a social, interactive environment using photos, videos, blogs, user profiles, e-mail/Instant Messaging, Web forums, and chat rooms.  
News Corp. (NWS )  bought MySpace for $580 million in July 2005
As of October 2006 70 million active monthly users in the US
80% of 12 -17 year olds use it at least weekly
38 billion page views per month – by some measurements this is more than any other site on the internet

Facebook, which started off as a social networking Web site for college students, recently expanded, offering high school and co-worker directories. Facebook saw an 89% increase in unique visitors to the site at over the past year and hit 30 million users on July 10th , with a 143% increase in page views at 15.8 billion. The site has also seen a demographic shift toward teens and post grads as it moves out of the college crowd.
Reports in Frobes Magazine detail a pattern of FaceBook usage:
Affluent kids from educated, well-to-do families have been fleeing MySpace for Facebook since it opened registration to the general public in September, while working-class kids still flock to MySpace. 
The number of Facebook visitors ages 12 to 17 jumped 149% over the past year, while MySpace lost 27% of teens. , 
Estimated ad revenue for 2007 calendar year for Facebook is $125 million, $525 million for MySpace, according to research firm eMarketer. Together, the two account for 72% of all online advertising on social networks

## Technology and Risk: Social Networking Sites cont...

- With access to groups like those found in MySpace (“Drugs Are Cool” and “Sex, Drugs and Everything Else You Keep From Your Parents”), teens are opening up about their lives, often glamorizing substance use, violence and high-risk sexual behavior.

## Technology and Risk: Social Networking Sites cont...

- In WI, an 18 year-old faced charges after posting pictures of several weapons, his potted marijuana plants and other drug paraphernalia on his MySpace page.

## Schools Addressing Risk

- District 128, which includes Libertyville and Vernon Hills high schools, gained national attention on shows like Good Morning America, ABC World News Tonight and Dateline as the first district in Illinois to incorporate guidelines on appropriate online activity in its student code of conduct manual.

## Schools Addressing Risk cont...

- District 128 tackled the issue by launching an Internet safety campaign during 2005-2006 school year to educate students, parents, faculty, staff and the school board on the topic.
- The district also collaborated with local law enforcement and held a workshop for parents and created fake personal pages to show how the sites work.

## Schools Addressing Risk cont...

- Parents were shocked at the inappropriate messages and photos the fake pages received from possible predators almost immediately after being posted.
- As a result of this campaign the number of inappropriate photos or information has almost disappeared.

## Technology and Protection

- Technology allows young people to actively participate in the creation of drug-free messages
- The vast majority of students live by the online safety behaviors they learn at home and at school
- 59% of students say they talk about education related topics online, including college or college planning; learning outside of school; news; careers or jobs; politics, ideas, religion or morals; and schoolwork
- (National School Boards Association 2007)

## Using Technology to Instantly Communicate Healthy Messages

- Prom Night DUI Prevention Text Messages
- Department of Public Health Sexual Health Text Messaging Campaign

**Notes:**
Century Council

The San Francisco Dept. of Public Health’s SexInfo initiative disseminates sexual health information via text messages to youth who have questions. 

## Using Technology to Provide Drug Free Information

- Information FOR Young People
- _[www.freevibe.com](http://www.freevibe.com/)__ (ONDCP)_
- Information ABOUT Young People
- _[Students Working Against Tobacco](http://www.okswat.com/)_
- Information BY Young People
- _[Stop Underage Drinking Now](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q02oQuTI-U8)_

**Notes:**
ONDCP – site created by professionals targeting young people
The Office of National Drug Control Policy also has a blog, and offers podcasts and access to its website through PDAs and cell phones.

SWAT – initiative with the Oklahoma Dept of Health – provides info about what young people are doing to reduce tobacco use

Stop Underage drinking Now YouTube Video created by the Appomattox Regional Governors’s School Film Group – Arts and technology High School 

## Using Technology - Drug Free Social Norming

- Blogs
- _[Missouri Youth – Adult Alliance](http://www.myaapreventuad.blogspot.com/)_
- Social Networking Sites
- _[My Space -  Students Together Against Alcohol ‘N Drugs](http://www.myspace.com/staand_casa)_

**Notes:**
Blogs not as popular as social networking sites for young people – lot of work involved & not a lot of interaction

## Are You Using Technology to Forward Prevention?

- How are you using technology to teach your students?
- Are you using any of these technologies?
- Blogs
- Wikis
- Podcasts
- Online collaboration
- Web-cams
- GPS (Global Positioning System)
- GIS (Geographic Information System)
- Google Earth

**Notes:**
The 2007 National Leadership Forum, sponsored by CADCA, offered a technology track about blogging,podcasting and using video to tell community success stories.

## For More Information

- http://www.theantidrug.com/
- http://www.mediacampaign.org/
- http://www.computeruser.com/resources/dictionary/emoticons.html
- http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/pdf/street_terms.pdf
- http://www.netlingo.com/emailsh.cfm

## For More Information cont...

- _[http://socialmarketing.blogs.com](http://socialmarketing.blogs.com/)_
- _[http://technologyinprevention.blogspot.com](http://technologyinprevention.blogspot.com/)_
- _[http://prevention.typepad.com](http://prevention.typepad.com/)_
- http://www.district128.org
- http://www.4teachers.org