Lutz News

From social media to social pressures, the challenges of a teen are unlikely to go away anytime soon.

The stresses aren’t going away for parents, either.

To help navigate those issues, the Steinbrenner High Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) hosted its fifth annual “World of a Teen” program on Feb. 7, inside the school’s auditorium.

An estimated crowd of more than 250 people attended, according to Laura Lopresti, vice president of programs for Steinbrenner High PTSA.

Those attending came from numerous areas public high schools, middle schools, as well as a public elementary, a private school and a public charter school.

The award-winning program featured a panel of eight experts, who discussed topics ranging from drug usage and social media habits, to picking the right college.

During the 90-minute event, parents and guardians filled out questions on notecards, which then were read anonymously to the panel.

The answers were forthright, and panelists had plenty of advice.

“I think that a lot of people left here with a lot of questions answered — parents and children— and I think it gave them a lot of content to talk about at home,” said Edgar Guzman, a Tampa-based attorney, one of the panelists.

Drug usage, especially marijuana, was a frequently broached topic.

The panelists’ message to the audience: Stay away.

Lynn Posyton, community relations specialist for Drug-Free World, said she’s noticed the substance being abused “more and more.”

It’s also becoming more hazardous, she said.

Posyton noted the levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) have increased over the past several decades. That’s the chemical that’s responsible for most of marijuana’s psychological effects.

“It’s not the weed of the ’60s, ’70s or ’80s,” she said. “THC in 1981 was 2 percent. Now, it’s 17 percent.”

That sharp level, she said, affects individuals differently.

“It’s getting crazier and crazier, and harder for a child to understand what’s right and what’s wrong in terms of drugs,” Posyton said. “The most important thing is education of what drugs are. If you’re going to do something, you should find out about it before you’re going to do it.

She added: “Don’t listen to the people that say it’s not affecting them; do you look inside and see what’s happening to your liver?”

Guzman, meanwhile, said he’s seen marijuana’s harsh effects from a legal standpoint.

“It’s very dangerous,” he said. “It’s not worth experimenting; it’s really for nothing.”

Deputy Bill Sanders, a school resource officer at Martinez Middle School, warned parents about vaporizers and e-cigarettes, where cannabis oil can be added and sometimes go unnoticed.

“There’s a lot of sneaky stuff out there, and unfortunately a lot of our kids know how to get them,” Sanders said.

He also has noticed that kids are trying things at younger ages.

“Our kids are experimenting and doing things every year at a younger and younger age,” Sanders said. “Things we might’ve done when we were younger—but not as young — they are doing at a younger age.”

The proliferation of smart devices and popular apps — Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram — doesn’t help.

Social media makes youth more vulnerable than ever, panelists agreed.

Michelle Gonzalez, a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, said her office is seeing a rise in online sexual exploitation and cyber bullying amongst teens.

Those matters are becoming tougher to monitor, as new apps and devices come online, she said.

Teens ought to think twice before sending an inappropriate photo, Gonzalez advised.

“It can get away from you,” she said. “Once you take a picture and send it, it’s out there.”

To combat problems, Gonzalez said parents must better supervise their children’s app usage and Internet activity.

That includes access to all passwords and encrypted information.

“There should be no privacy—they’re not adults,” she said.

Students, meanwhile, must be cautious with whom they’re interacting with online.

“There’s nothing to monitor how old the kids are, and there’s nothing to monitor how old people are that they’re talking to,” Gonzalez explained. “Don’t give out personal details.

“If you haven’t met them in real life, you don’t know who they’re talking to,” she said.

Deputy Sanders’ rule of thumb for teens: Only converse online with somebody you’ve met face-to-face, and have had a daily conversation with for a school year’s length of time.

“You really need to know who you’re talking to,” Sanders said. “Really know who you’re dealing with online.”

On a softer note, post-secondary education was another point of discussion, during the event.

Several questions were posed about the admissions process, along with the transition to higher learning.

Bob LeVine, former chairman of the Harvard Schools Committee for the West Coast of Florida, said it’s an important to find an environment where each student can flourish.

He pointed out students learn in different ways, from auditory and visual learning, to interactive learning.

Finding available offerings at targeted institutions is paramount, LeVine said.

“It’s not about getting into a school; it’s about succeeding when you get there,” he said.

LeVine later instructed parents to stop worrying about what schools want, and focus instead on what “inspires and develops” children in the “best possible way.”

Additionally, overstressing about grade point average or exclusively taking advanced courses can be counterproductive, he said.

“The academics is important, but they will also weight things differently—sports, volunteering, family activities,” LeVine said. “Colleges want to see students undertake challenges, but not all the challenges.”

Panelist agreed it’s essential for parents and teens to maintain open lines of communication.

“Hiding, being quiet, or walking way isn’t the answer,” Guzman said.

Published February 15, 2017