Use of Technology to Forward Prevention

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Use of Technology to Forward Prevention

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

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The Adolescent Brain

• Is perfectly designed to
• Take risks
• Innovate
• Enjoy new experiences

Reviewed in Giedd, J.N. (2004) Ann. N.Y. Acad.
Sci. 1021 77-85.
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Adolescent Life in the Digital Age

• How do your students learn?

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Technology Provides

• Instant communication
• Enormous amounts of information
• Social networking

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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)

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Using Technology to Instantly Communicate Healthy
Messages

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

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Using Technology to Provide Drug Free Information

• Information FOR Young People
• www.freevibe.com (ONDCP)
• Information ABOUT Young People
• Students Working Against Tobacco
• Information BY Young People
• Stop Underage Drinking Now

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Using Technology - Drug Free Social Norming

• Blogs
• Missouri Youth Adult Alliance
• Social Networking Sites
• My Space - Students Together Against Alcohol N
  Drugs

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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

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For More Information

• http//www.theantidrug.com/
• http//www.mediacampaign.org/
• http//www.computeruser.com/resources/dictionary/e
  moticons.html
• http//www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/pdf/street_ter
  ms.pdf
• http//www.netlingo.com/emailsh.cfm

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For More Information cont

• http//socialmarketing.blogs.com
• http//technologyinprevention.blogspot.com
• http//prevention.typepad.com
• http//www.district128.org
• http//www.4teachers.org