Last term, students from Wallingford School and Aylesbury UTC visited Merchant Taylors' Hall for a Digital Wellbeing Conference. Over to Emily Dunn and Mikhe Kruger for their accounts of the day:
The Digital Wellbeing Conference on the 24th May was the first event Archie and I attended as head students. Despite an early start to catch the 7am train, we were excited to be back at the beautiful Merchant Taylor’s Hall, where we competed in the Livery Academy Awards in December of last year.
The premise of this conference was to explore the challenges, but also opportunities, digital technology presents and to take part in workshops to develop strategies for improving digital wellbeing in our schools.
The first speaker began by discussing the amazing things our devices can do for us; a new use for my phone, I discovered, is the ability to tell when a steak is perfectly cooked! However, we were also reminded that, whilst the assistance and entertainment our devices provide has become an integral part of day-to-day life, it is important to remember they can work against us, and not for us, if we are not careful.
The second talk was sobering, as we heard stories about children and teenagers being coerced and pressured into producing self-generated images. As student leaders, we hope to implement some ideas the speaker gave, such as working with small groups of students and delivering educational sessions to help prevent this exploitation from occurring.
The final talk was given by a clinical psychologist, who encouraged us to reflect on the amount of time we spend on our devices, and informed us about the dangers of 'doom scrolling'. The importance of digital detoxes was emphasised as a way to support our mental health and improve our productivity.
Going forward, the student leaders intend to set up student focus groups to find out what the student view is of the digital landscape and what worries and concerns they have. We will use this information to form part of the groundwork for creating a digital wellbeing charter. We thoroughly enjoyed our day in London and thank the Merchant Taylors' Company for the opportunity to learn more about digital wellbeing.
- Emily Dunn, Year 12, Wallingford School
What an exciting day at the Digital Wellbeing Conference at the Merchant Taylors’ Hall in London! As a student council member at Aylesbury UTC, I had the privilege of attending this conference and representing my school. We heard from esteemed guest speakers who shared crucial insights on online safety, the implications of technology, and the effects of technology on the human brain.
Alan Mackenzie discussed online safety, while Oliver Welsby FRSA from Brightcore Consultancy emphasised the importance of finding balance in the use of technology by promoting real-world connections, exercise, and creative expression.
Another enlightening talk by Nihara Krause MBE focused on the social and emotional impacts of technology on the human brain. She also discussed the impact of technology on young minds and how early digital experiences help shape them.
A big thank you to Merchant Taylors' Company for hosting us and providing such a valuable platform for learning and growth. It was an honour to be a part of this event.
- Mikhe Kruger, Year 12, Aylesbury UTC
