Two meetings dedicated to the topic of social media as a new modern addiction took place at "Lyuben Karavelov" Secondary School - Nessebar and "St. St. Cyril and Methodius" Primary School - Ravda. The organizer was the Local Commission for Combating Anti-Social Behavior of Minors and Juveniles to Nessebar Municipality, and the lecturer was public educator Rumyana Kostova.
The meeting at "Lyuben Karavelov" Secondary School - Nessebar was with students from the sixth grades and focused on social media, which young people know and use. The use of digital devices, scrolling habits and "scanning" of information were discussed with the adolescents, through which, instead of reading in depth, many students flip through texts, look for keywords and rely on short summaries or videos on social media, by which actions they create an illusion of being informed. In the subsequent discussion, the students listed the benefits for access to education and information in the network, but also noted the violation of the balance for the way we learn, communicate and neglect our emotions in our contacts with people. The concepts of "gaslighting" and "toxic relationship" were discussed, as well as the influence of TikTok, Instagram and YouTube on mental health. The students also watched a short film about the impact of video games and the addiction they cause, as well as what consequences and damage they inflict on the psyche of young people.
In Ravda, the meeting was with pupils of the fourth grade school and aimed to introduce the students to the new forms of addiction that have been observed in recent years in society and especially among young people. Adolescents were introduced to alarming data, according to which today's young people spend more than half of the time they are awake watching a glowing display. Studies show that the average screen time for teenagers reaches or exceeds 7-8 hours a day, which turns virtual reality into the main environment for life. In the course of the conversation, the students understood that the human brain is not "programmed" to learn through short videos, fragmented texts and quick summaries. Quite the opposite - it learns through reading comprehension, with prolonged concentration and direct interaction with other people. The students were given the opportunity to share which social networks they use and what activities they perform. The risks and dangers of using cyberspace and websites and what rules should be followed were discussed with them. Through a presentation and exercises, the children were introduced to the harms and benefits of constant surfing on the Internet.