“It’s something that sticks in your brain;” Valley School Districts help students navigate social media amid Israel and Hamas war
Amid the ongoing Israel and Hamas war, educators throughout the Coachella Valley are sharing tips for parents and students to help them navigate social media as war-related images flood the internet.
The Coachella Valley Unified School District was the first to put out guidance.
News Channel 3’s Bianca Ventura has more on how CVUSD is helping and how some of the disturbing images can impact the mental health of children and teens.
"When you see kids who are dead on social media or see how their bodies are left, it’s something that sticks in your brain like an image is stuck there," said Coachella Valley High School Junior, Lynette Bautista.
Millions of social media users, like Bautista are seeing agonizing images daily as the Israel–Hamas war plays out in real time.
Although some schools are encouraging students stay off social media altogether, that may be a difficult ask for students like Erick Peña.
"I want to see the reality of the situation," said Peña. "I want to see what really is happening. So I don't mute any of that, I just watch it."
Coachella Valley Unified School District is encouraging parents, guardians and staff to have conversations about their students’ social media consumption.
"If you need help, you can go to our Wellness Center with Mr. Tate," said Bautista.
Coachella Valley High School Wellness specialist, Jason Tate shares these tips to help address his students’ concerns
"Maybe put a time limit on myself, you know, like, 'Okay, I want to look at this, but I'm only going to look at it for 20 minutes and set an alarm,'" said Tate.
It’s not just high school students learning about the ongoing war, "My younger cousins, as well, they see that type of content. And they for sure are disturbed by it," said Peña.
"It's difficult psychologically to see the distance, they actually see it as happening in their backyard," said Tate.
Using a map or globe to show younger children the thousands of miles between the U.S. and the Gaza strip can help them better understand where the war is taking place.
Tate says activism can also be a productive way to process the information students’ are taking in.
"Partnering with organizations on school campuses to provide support, provide funds, materials, donations, to help out these families," said Tate.
Lastly Tate encourages an open dialogue, "So that they can together as a family, look and see what's happening in the world, shielding our children from it is not the best way because they're gonna see it anyway. So we might as well be involved in the learning process."
Experts like Tate also say it’s also important to remind students to look for credible sources while they’re scrolling.
Palm Springs Unified School District also put out a similar release for students. We also reached out to Desert Sands Unified to see if they've shared any social media safety tips, we have not yet heard back.
