Tools for Your Toolbox: What’s Happening Now

By Mathew Finlay, Silverdale Baptist Academy School Counselor Contact Mr. Finlay

As you know, here at SBA we want to partner with you as parents in all areas of the lives of your students. One of the ways we want to do that is provide you with information that we have come across through conferences, blogs, and word-of-mouth.

I am sure you have said to your child at some point, “It was different when I was your age!” Isn’t that the truth! The society and culture that your children are being raised in is a far cry from where it was 20, 10, or even 5 years ago. Your students face issues and problems with things that you probably could never have dreamed up when you were a student. What I want to do today is partner with you by sharing some pertinent information. We have all heard the saying, “ knowledge is power” and I believe in this case it absolutely is. We want to give you the power to protect your students’ heart, mind and spirit from the attacks of the enemy by giving you some “new” ways and avenues that Satan is using to attack them.

The first is through social media. In one of my previous emails I made you aware of SnapChat and Ask.FM, two social media sites that have been used to devastate the lives of students worldwide. Here are a few other apps and services to be aware of:

Yik Yak

This is an app that can be downloaded to any mobile device. Yik Yak promotes anonymity by allowing an individual to post a comment for all users to see without creating an account or username. The user is able to find comments based on their current location. We currently do not have any students using Yik Yak that we are aware of and with your help, we hope to keep it that way. It sounds like something harmless, and used in the correct way it absolutely could be. Unfortunately, as with most social media, it is not being used in positive ways and students across the country are bullying other students using this app. Here's a link to a news article that talks about Yik Yak and how law enforcement in another state are now involved: ARTICLE: New app causing bullying issues in schools

Twitter

PLEASE DON’T STOP READING! I know we all have Twitter, and when used properly, it is a great tool and something that can be a lot of fun. As a school, we use Twitter for many different things but as with everything, when used incorrectly, it can be a problem. This is something we have had a small issue with at SBA. There are currently accounts that have been created such as @SBA_Probz and @SBA_Stolen_Milk. These have been used to make accusations about other students, amongst other things. We want to make you aware of them and encourage you to talk with your students about them and encourage them not to "follow", "re-tweet" or "favorite" those accounts (if that sounds like French to you, I am positive your student will be able to share with you what those words represent in the “Twittersphere”).

Changing Gears...

There's a concoction that goes by the name of “Sizzurp”, “Lean”, “Purple Drank”, or “Syrup”. This is a lethal concoction that students across the country are using as a means to get an immediate high. Unfortunately it has also been endorsed by some leading pop culture icons such as rapper Lil Wayne and Justin Bieber. The drink is comprised of a soft drink (typically Sprite), candy (typically a Jolly Rancher), and ZzzQuil (or another cough syrup with codeine as an ingredient). According to the article below, the drink is supposed to give a high but can also be followed by the side effects noted in the article. This drink has become popular at parties and other hangouts since students believe there is nothing illegal taking place. Another concern is students using excessive amounts ZzzQuil or Nyquil as a sleep aid on a regular basis. For obvious reasons this is a poor idea as it becomes very easy for addictions to develop. ARTICLE: Sizzurp: What you need to know about cough syrup high

Please rest assured that if these were pressing issues that we saw at SBA, then this email would be coming from our administration. Right now we are simply trying to put information in your hands to arm and equip you as parents.

If we can support you in any way please be sure to let us know!