What we do for parents
Meet_iGen workshops
An entertaining, and informative seminar to tackle key issues facing iGen. Meet_iGen is full of straight-talking, and the latest research is presented in useable ways. You will hear our top tips you can use straight away and plenty of opportunities to interact with others on the night.
If you have a young person who you would like to refer to Souster Youth for support click here
The current generation born between 1995 and 2010 have been called the iGeneration. They are the first generation to spend their entire adolescence in the age of the smartphone. They are the iPhone generation. They’ve never known life without the kind of immersive technology that is present in almost every aspect of modern life. This is leading to some dramatic shifts. Every generation has it’s differences and iGen’s are starting to emerge. They spend their time differently; social media and messaging taking up a significant proportion of their time, they are delaying sex and trying alcohol later, and are experiencing unprecedented levels of anxiety, depression and loneliness. These are just a few of the shifts we are noticing. This has implications for parenting, education, the workplaces of the future, relationships and so much more. So what are these shifts? How are the iGen different from the generations before? How much impact has the smartphone really had? How can we help? What can we learn from iGen?
What is Meet_iGen?
An entertaining, and informative seminar to tackle key issues facing iGen. Meet_iGen is full of straight-talking, and the latest research is presented in useable ways. You will hear our top tips you can use straight away and plenty of opportunities to interact with others on the night.
Why are we doing it?
We want to help young people. Each of us only see them for a maximum of a few hours per week, but parents & carers see them far more. If we can equip parents, then we can change the environment at home. Parents often want to help but they don’t always know where to start. Some key conversations that need to be had aren’t being had because starting is hard. We aim to give parents the information they need to understand what is happening in youth culture so that they can help shape their children’s lives. We can demystify the challenges parents feel and offer some suggestions for ways forward.
Who is it for?
Parents, Carers, Teachers, Youthworkers, Grandparents…anyone who has a significant role in the life of a young person!
What are each of the sessions about?
The smartphone has changed the world and digital technology is here to stay. This is a two-hour roadshow exploring some of the ways technology is shaping the lives of young people today. Part 1 will take a look the first generation to grow up exclusively in the digital age. What impact is it all having on iGen? What trends are we noticing? Part 2 is more practical and focuses on how you can support healthy development, safe boundaries, and life-giving relationships for young people. We’ll include lots of top tips and suggestions for identifying your own values and successfully tackling key issues.
iGen are experiencing unprecedented levels of anxiety, depression and loneliness. Pressures from social media, to achieve academic success, and to look and behave in certain ways all seem to play a role. Many will say that whilst the technology might be new, the pressures and emotions they elicit are as old as modern civilisations. So why do iGen appear to be responding differently? We will examine the role of helpful coping strategies. We will see the interplay between lifestyle factors, the impact of digital media, and some psychological factors to try to understand what is going on and what we can do to help.
Nowhere is the impact of technology more obvious than in the areas of relationships and sex. What trends are we seeing in iGen’s relationships? Are they having more or less sex? Is technology helping them experience deeper relationships and develop more social skills? How is pornography and sexting affecting iGen? 62% of teenagers actually want to talk to their parents about sex, and would go to them before friends, teachers, or the internet. How can we make it easier for them by becoming ‘askable-adults’? We’ll explore all these questions and more! You will get our best thinking on how to start the conversation, how to talk about and pass on your values, and how to affirm or challenge appropriately.
“This is a ‘must attend’ for any parent with teenage children”
Parent of a year 9 student