Special to IFN

Pine Lake Prep students in grades 6-9 recently had the unique opportunity to hear an eye-opening message about how technology and social media are intentionally designed to capture attention and influence behavior.

“We’ve Been Sneaking into Your Brains,” a powerful presentation by the Social Awakening founder Max Stossel, prompted meaningful reflection among our students.

Through this presentation, students were encouraged to think more critically about their relationship with technology. They learned that many apps and digital platforms are carefully engineered to keep users scrolling, clicking, and returning again and again. The goal of the presentation was not to shame technology, but to empower students to become more aware, thoughtful, and in control of how they use it.

During the session, students explored several key ideas, including:

♦ How social media and apps are designed to capture and hold our attention;
♦ Why it’s important to notice how technology makes us feel;
♦ Making intentional choices about screen time and online behavior; and
♦ Protecting our focus, sleep, and real-life relationships

Pine Lake is also in the middle of a book study with parents and guardians covering “The Anxious Generation” by Jonathan Haidt. The book discusses a “Great Rewiring” in childhood from free play and exploration to one dominated by smartphones and social media and its connection to declining mental health.

Both programs are part of a greater initiative to be more informed and purposeful about screen time limitations and increasing interpersonal engagement.