Leadership Hospitality | Dangerous Challenges In Adolescents

A study carried out by experts from the University of California revealed that receiving many “likes” in the photos or videos that children and adolescents publish on social networks causes an increase in neural activity in the areas involved in the reward system and social recognition. Basically, the more “I like” photos and videos, the greater sense of satisfaction.

The researchers also discovered that the “likes” of photos or videos associated with risks or dangers not only increase that satisfaction at the brain level, but also decrease neural activity in the prefrontal area, specifically in the area related to the perception of danger and alertness. This not only explains why adolescents take on viral challenges that put their integrity at risk, but also shows that they are not fully aware of the dangers to which they are exposed, while feeling satisfied.

The Five Most Risk Viral Challenges Among Teens

The blue whale. It is one of the first viral challenges and the one that has generated the most stir around the world. Basically, the challenge consists of completing a series of tasks, many of which put the physical and psychological integrity of the participant at risk, the last being suicide.
Kiki Challenge. The challenge, which has gone around the world and has even been joined by police officers and celebrities, consists of getting out of a moving car and dancing to the song “In my feelings” by rapper Drake next to the moving vehicle or in front of the same, in the middle of the road. Hence, it is also known as the “In My Feelings” challenge.
The Chinese alphabet. Also known as “The Devil’s Alphabet” is one of the latest challenges in social networks. This is a challenge in which one of the participants must recite the alphabet aloud, saying a word that begins with the corresponding letter while another person scrapes each of the letters on the page with their fingernail, scissors or a knife. hand, increasing speed and pressure as the alphabet progresses.
MOMO. Although it seems to indicate that it is a hoax, the truth is that the Civil Guard issued an alert about this challenge in which the victim is encouraged to carry out certain tasks, which may include violent actions or even suicide, after stealing personal information of whoever adds the “momo” contact.
Bird Box Challenge. This is one of the latest challenges to go viral in much of the world and it carries numerous risks for those who join the challenge. It is based on the film Bird Box and its objective is for the participants to carry out their daily tasks with a blindfold, just like the protagonists of the film.

Strengthen your self-esteem

The self-esteem of many children and adolescents is largely dependent on the “likes” they receive on social networks. Basically, the “likes” are an indicator of how popular and accepted they are in your group of friends, which means that they will do everything in their power to get them, even if it means putting their safety at risk.

Strengthen the confidence that your child has in you

Another key to detecting viral challenges that can put the safety of children and adolescents at risk is to strengthen their trust in you. Many of the victims of these challenges do not trust their parents, or at least not enough to tell them about their insecurities and, as a result, end up giving in to pressure from peers or complete strangers.

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3 keys to teaching children more kindness

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| Teaching Kindness

Our society needs people to be kinder, to realize that we are social beings and that we need to help each other altruistically in order to live well together. At the same time, it is necessary to be aware that attacking other people will never be a good thing for them or for yourself.

Unfortunately, these days , both children and adults often have nasty comments. We live in a shallow age where photos and posts on the Internet often have almost instant and anonymous comments from strangers and acquaintances alike. These reactions can be rude, have you ever read any of these comments? Probably yes. It is important for parents to teach children to be kind to others and what it means to be kind.

Society needs more kindness

Judging others seems to be an activity that everyone does… it’s easy to post comments about other people, whoever they are. Cruelty is not new; it has been done since ancient times. But today, the ease, speed and virtual anonymity, make that people can make judgments about others are unprecedented. Children are learning what they see around them.

Children focus on the present and do not think much about the consequences of the future, so they may not realize the full effects of behavior such as meanness, exclusion, or bullying on other children. They are by nature self-centered, this means that they will not always be able to put themselves in someone else’s shoes or make a conscious effort to think about how another person might feel, that is, to have empathy.

That doesn’t mean, however, that children are naturally evil. In fact, children are hardwired to have empathy for others and they want to help. Parents, caregivers, teachers, and other adults can tap into these natural instincts and encourage children to think about other people’s feelings before acting and teach them how to practice kindness in their daily lives.

Ways Parents Can Encourage Kindness in Children

To encourage kindness in children, it is important to incorporate some of these practices into their daily routines:

- Be good to others. Children need reminders about how to put themselves in someone else’s shoes. Tell your child to think before saying something about someone … How would he feel if he discovered that someone else was making fun of him or criticizing him for not knowing how to do something right? Would you want someone to praise you for trying or reject you for not doing something? Would you want someone to compliment you on something you do or would you want someone to make fun of what you do? Teaching empathy is a key part of teaching children kindness.
- If you’re not going to say something nice, you better shut up. Saying nothing if you don’t have anything good to say about someone is necessary for children to learn. Teach your child to get used to saying nice things – the kind of things that would make someone feel good instead of sad. Teach your child not to say anything when he has a negative opinion about something.

Use kind words. It’s a good idea to get children into the habit of being friendly and saying something nice to someone. You will have to be a good example and be nice to the people you interact with throughout the day. Let your child see how you say good things to other people … I know the behavior you want to see in your child about kindness.

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