I forget how little they are.  Elementary school age kids.  They are babies.  Tiny.  Maybe it is because my crew…well they are grown.  Big, large, grown adult humans. At almost 19 and 21 they tower over me.  You would think I would remember how little these guys are given how  frequently I speak to elementary school students. And it is not always their size…yet different “things” that remind me of how small they are.   This week it was the tiny bathroom mirror.  The one that, at 5’1, I had to bend over to see into. It was the little first graders at recess playing the “parachute game”.  Their little bodies struggling to get the parachute up together, then struggling again to bring it down trapping air to make a little “mountain”.  Many of them standing while others were sitting.  Laughing.  Wiggling.  Bodies constantly in motion.  Just trying to figure it all out.  As they should be.  And while I largely do not speak to first and second grade, even my third graders always seem little.  Because…they are.

Remember when everything happened at the kitchen table. Growing up breakfast, lunch and dinner was served here and everyone was expected to show up. As a kid you were held until you asked to be excused. Hard decisions were made with elbows on scratched wood. The good plates were brought out for birthdays, Thanksgiving and Christmas… and set up just a bit more fancy than the usual. Kids arguing, laughing, playing when they shouldn’t all happened there. Bad news was gently given…usually served with a cup of coffee or glass of sweet tea. Happy news was served with the same drinks at the same table. Everyone had “their” chair. Once claimed it was yours forever. The table has food stains, hot mug rings, and permanent pen marks that are now a… permanent… part of the wood. The kitchen table tells a story. It is, or was, where life was lived.

X, per new policy guidelines, is allowing pornography. There are no parental controls on X. Because it is considered an adult app. So the only thing standing between your kid and a twitter education on porn and sexuality is a fake birthday. Read that again. We know that our youth are experiencing a mental health crisis. Teens are still forming their sense of self and developing values and beliefs. Exposure to explicit content on sites like X can lead to confusion, distorted views of sexuality, and body image issues. Pornography often portrays unrealistic and exaggerated depictions of sex and relationships. Teenagers who are exposed to this content, again, may develop unrealistic expectations about sex, intimacy, and body image, which can negatively impact their future relationships and sexual experiences.

Anyone can become an “influencer”. Social media platforms have provided a space for individuals to showcase their talents, hobbies and personal experiences. What happens is the sheer overwhelm of fly by night influencers with a few months of “expertise” and just enough charisma, relatability and aesthetically pleasing content to gain popularity inundates our screens and creates confusion. The reality is authenticity does not always translate to credibility. It is essential for consumers of social media to exercise critical thinking when evaluating information shared by influencers. One of the best things we can do as a consumer is to recognize the vast difference between influencers and experts. In other words, be damn careful of the snake oil swillers of today’s generation. They are the same as they were 100’s of years ago…just dressed in prettier clothes and they no longer have to knock on your door to get in to your home.