Photo courtesy of Welcome 2 Reality
It is coming up to a grim anniversary in Northern Saskatchewan.
In October of 2016, four girls between the age of 10 and 14 took their own lives. There was also a lot of chatter about the deaths on social media. There were also suicide pacts being made and shared on the internet.
As part of an ongoing strategy to deal with the crisis and the influence of social media, there will be two open meetings in La Ronge tonight, where participants will learn about the good, the bad and the ugly of the internet.
The idea to hold the sessions and bring in the experts came from Kyla McKenzie, who works with the social services department in conjunction with Lac La Ronge Child and Indian Services.
She had the opportunity to participate in a session with the Connecticut company called Welcome 2 Reality. It specializes in social media and how it impacts today’s youth. Everything from providing a portal for learning, to sharing suicide pacts and the dangers of online predators is discussed.
“I think it is something our communities absolutely need in the wake of what happened in October here, it’s important information we need to get out,” she said.
Co-founder of Welcome 2 Reality, Marcus Stallworth, says the internet has changed the way teens perceive themselves, and it also puts them at greater risk to psychological bullying.
“Some of those young folks, who were in a position that they decided to move and make the choices they decided to make, were being bullied online,” he said. “And again, most of the time the parents were not even aware that this was happening.”
Welcome 2 Reality held sessions with professionals, educators, students and RCMP in La Ronge today.
There will be a public meeting at Churchill Community High School tonight, with another public meeting tomorrow at the Kitsaki Hall. More sessions are planned for October and November.