St Mary’s Calne’s Young Enterprise team, Perspective, has created a book filled with personal anecdotes and advice on experiences with a view to helping others who may be struggling. Note to Self, written by 28 co-authors, both boys and girls, gives first-hand perspectives on topics close to their hearts, ranging from racism and recovering from an eating disorder to exam stress and navigating social media.  It’s a unique viewpoint from young people on the issues that affect them – essentially, what they wish they’d known at the time when they were facing these challenges themselves.

It’s such a great idea and a great read for everyone.  For parents, it’s an insight into the mind of a 16-year old and for teenagers, it can give knowledge and reassurance that you’re not alone in what you’re facing.  Note to Self doesn’t claim to offer all the answers, but it will hopefully work as a catalyst for further investigation into the topics explored. That’s why the authors have also cleverly jam-packed it with other book, podcast and film recommendations.

Here is an exclusive peek into Note to Self’s social media section:

Social media: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

… In our circle of friends, it’s fairly common to edit photos using filters, or maybe changing brightness or saturation levels, but eyebrows get raised whenever we spot that someone has ‘edited’ the shape of their body or face. I sometimes think this is a bit hypocritical – why do we think a filter is less harmful than a slimmed-down waist? By photoshopping your body, you may unintentionally contribute to unrealistic body standards. I don’t mean to come off as preachy, but this is especially damaging for younger people and those who don’t realise that images on social media aren’t reality…

Here are our top tips for optimising your social media use!

1. Think before you post! Would that joke still be funny out of context in 10 years’ time? Consider your influence – how might seeing a photoshopped image rather than a ‘natural’ one impact your followers?
2. Limit your screen time – you can download apps to help with this or change settings to notify you when a certain amount of time has passed. One in five teenagers in the UK are spending more than five hours on social media before they go to bed – consider whether this is really what you want to do with your free time.
3. Take everything with a pinch of salt. Keep in mind that what you see on Instagram is not always the truth: people post the version of themselves they want you to see.
4. Remove yourself from negativity. Try to cleanse your feed of toxic content and unfollow pointless accounts to reduce the time you spend scrolling.

 

Note to Self is available to buy HERE and look out for the team on instagram @perspective_ye