Save My Family Event February 25

On February 25, from 6 to 8:00 p.m., parents, educators, and anyone concerned about the welfare of local youth are invited to attend a free event at the Cambridge High School Commons entitled “Digital Media: Your child’s Mental Health, Development, and Well-Being.” Presented as part of the “Save My Family” series of presentations, the event is the brainchild of Kelli Rich, a nurse who began the non-profit organization, Committing to 16, to promote delaying social media usage until the age of 16.

Rich began to feel strongly about this topic when a family member made a suicide attempt. She attributed this partly to heavy social media usage which has been associated with depression and suicidal ideation in young people. She sees prevention as the key to these mental health issues, especially when the mental health system is often facing backlogs when it comes to care and treatment.

“If we can prevent those mental health issues, then those kids won’t even need help,” said Rich. “When a kid is going through a mental crisis, they can’t wait nine months.”

Parents who attend the presentation will learn how drug use, depression, social media, and video gaming are interconnected.

They can expect to learn about all the things that their kids are going through, right now,” said Rich.

Rich, a health care practitioner living in the Boise area, also has two children, herself. With her own children, she has successfully used tools that are available to all parents to restrict social media usage. Some of these tools include apps and phone companies like Pinwheel, Gabb, and Bark. These companies allow children to use cell phones for safety and communication, while restricting access to social media sites. Rich believes widely used apps such as TikTok and Snapchat are especially damaging to youth. Young people have also been victimized on social media by organized crime networks in attempts at extortion.

“A lot of boys are committing suicide because they don’t see a way out,” said Rich.

“That goes back to brain development because they are not developed fully to think logically about it.”

David Gomez, who has worked as a school resort officer from Idaho City, will join the discussion. Gomez has a significant following and is a compelling speaker.

“He will be moving, so this is one of the last opportunities to hear Officer Gomez,” said Rich.

Also joining the talk will be Douglas Hart, a former FBI agent. The presentation will examine how social media and video games are damaging to the mental health of young people, but, together with the other speakers, the event will also explore how to help mitigate the damage.

“At the end I talk about things parents can do to bring mental health up,” she said. Rich will focus on statistically proven strategies that empower parents so they can help their children become happier and productive.

“Back in the ‘90s we were doing sports, playing instruments, and hanging out with friends,” said Rich. She sees a return to these tried and true enrichment activities, while also delaying the use of social media and video games, as keys to preventing many mental health issues impacting youth.

“Keep them involved in other ways,” said Rich. “Let them be with their friends.“

The event is free of charge and Rich hopes to see a large crowd.

“We’d love to see people there,” she said. “Come with your questions, and hopefully we can answer everything “

This free event takes place from 6 to 8:00 p.m. on February 25 at the Cambridge High School Commons, located at 140 N. 4th Street, Cambridge. For more information, contact richkel4@isu.edu.