The impact of facebook on children's psychology

1). Facebook and other networking sites “are infantilizing the brain into the state of small children who are attracted by buzzing noises and bright lights, who have a short attention span and live for the moment”. There is hardly any concentration skills required in participating in these social networking sites, and these train the brain to have poor attention span.

2). Kids are detracted from learning to communicate in the real world. There are reports from teachers that social networking is affecting kids’ comprehension levels. Also, if kids communicate primarily through the screen they do not learn the subtleties of real life communication - such as body language, tone of voice, and subconsciously sensing the molecules that other people release.

3). Social networking sites make kids more self-centered. Since Facebook and other sites give kids their own page which is about them, it leads some vulnerable kids to think that everything revolves around them, a precursor for emotional problems in their later life. This might also result in inability to empathize.
These sites make kids prone to sensationalism.

4). Pedriatricians observe that some teens suffer from "Facebook depression". After spending a lot of time on Facebook and other popular social networking sites, some teens become anxious and moody. Also, a vulnerable teen may suffer from depression when he reads great things happening to his friends, and his life is not so great in comparison. Teens who experience "Facebook depression" usually have trouble with social interactions in general. 

6 Things to Know About Child Depression

It's more common than you think

Depression isn't normally an illness that we associate with kids, but it should be, says Robert L. Hendren, D.O., past president of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP). The AACAP estimates that as many as one in 20 children and adolescents is depressed. "Another way to think about it is that, on average, at least one child in every classroom will have it," says David Fassler.

Depression can run in the family

Studies show that 25 percent of kids who have a parent who has suffered from clinical depression will experience their own episode, says Dr. Fassler. If both Mom and Dad are depressed, the risk increases to around 75 percent. Scientists aren't exactly sure of the reason for this, but one theory posits that these kids have a genetic vulnerability, which is then exacerbated by a stressful environment.

It's often masked or mimicked by other problems

 "Approximately forty percent of children and adolescents with depression also have an anxiety disorder, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and about one in four has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)," says Dr. Fassler. Learning disorders are also common. Experts don't know quite how these relate to each other, but they do know that when there are coexisting conditions, it can be harder to suss out and treat each one.

Irritability can be a major clue

The biggest difference between symptoms of adults and those of children is that while adults are usually sad and withdrawn, children are easily aggravated and may have irrational outbursts, says Dr. Hendren. "Children might not recognize that they are feeling depressed," he says. "Often, they don't know how to identify this feeling and put it into words."

Kate Coyne*, a mom from South Portland, ME, initially took her daughter, Emma*, then 8, to a psychologist after a teacher said she'd been "uncharacteristically irritable" at school. "I was shocked when the psychologist said she was depressed," says Coyne. "Since Emma wasn't withdrawing or sleeping all the time -- symptoms that might have jumped out at me -- it never entered my head."

The dramas of Easter - Paula Manoli-Gray

Happy Easter – Kalo Pascha to everyone!

I do love Easter, but it does come with its dramas, and I don't mean the agonising temptation of Easter eggs and the guilt that follows!

Let's start with the pipe bombs and fireworks. I know I covered this a few weeks back, but there have been some developments… 

After numerous battles with the neighbourhood kids to stop them setting off fireworks in the park next door to the house, one of the kids told us that a policeman had told him that sparklers and small fireworks are okay to use unsupervised and they are allowed to buy them. We don't know if the policeman happens to be his dad, uncle or his dad's uncle's koumbaro, but we had to bite our tongue after a trip to a new discount superstore in Larnaca. There, we found that fireworks are sold freely. You just have to pick them up from the display at the beginning of the shop, pop them into your trolley, pay for them and then you are free to let them off wherever you desire. They even have suitably ominous names like 'fire bomb'. And then we wonder why children can't see the harm in using these things; after all, you can buy them along with your bananas and milk. I didn't see a warning sign or indication that they wouldn't be sold to anyone underage either. 'Only in Cyprus', as we are used to saying…

What I do like about Easter on the island is that we combine elements of Western Easter with Orthodox Easter.  As my own children are 'half and half' (half Cypriot, half English), they get to enjoy the differences of both their cultures, such as the contrast of dyed red eggs and chocolate eggs, religious traditions like decorating the Holy Sepulchre (epitafio), and fairytale traditions like the Easter bunny and egg hunts. Which leads me on to drama number two.

My kids are still in private nursery so we have yet to experience this first hand, but I have heard numerous horror stories from mums whose kids are in the state system (which my son will start in September). Apparently, state schools – including the pre-school – annually show a film of the crucifixion of Christ, complete with dripping blood from the crown of thorns and graphic images of the nails being driven in. I don't know if this is every school or just the village schools I have heard of, but not surprisingly, it has left children in tears and suffering from nightmares. I have also heard that pre-schoolers are taken to church to drink the blood of Christ (wine) so that they may be cleansed of demons. Yes, they are told that they need to be cleansed of their demons at the age of five.

I don't know how I will react if my son has to partake in any of the above next year, but for now, Easter is still a nice time for him, untarnished as yet.

So, if you celebrate – however you celebrate - may you enjoy this time and all the elements that make it uniquely Cyprus, even if your kids do come back from school drunk!

Easter with the kids

The children's play places, Wow Action Park, Party Place and Fun Factory, will all close only on Easter Sunday and will be open the rest of the week, with differing timetables, so check with the establishment for their particular times. Contact: 7000 0025 (Wow) / 2425 3300 (Party Place) / 7000 4095 (Fun Factory).

Leoni Pitman will be holding Easter craft sessions at her Splash 'O' Colour premises Wednesday, April 23 (10am-5pm), Thursday, April 24 (10am – 5pm), and Friday, April 25 (9am – 5pm). The crafts include Easter lanterns, Easter pottery painting and Easter hanging ornaments, amongst other crafts, and the cost per child is €7.50. Contact: 99095148.

Cyherbia Herb Garden, Maze and Woodland will be holding an Easter Egg Hunt starting on Easter Monday (April 21), until Sunday, April 27, from 10am – 5pm.

Located in the Larnaca district village of Avgorou, the event includes hundreds of Easter eggs hidden in the unique maze – the only one on the island – for children to hunt. There will also be other Easter themed games such as an 'I Spy' game in the Herb Garden with the goal to find and name the hidden bunnies, egg and spoon races, sack races and tug-of-war.

On the Monday and Tuesday, and the last day (Sunday), there will be an Easter bonnet and craft competition where children can create their own bonnets and baskets in the craft-area. The creations will be judged on Sunday, April 27, with one winner per craft. Leoni from Splash 'O' Colour will be running the crafts area.

Entrance is €5 per person, which includes a glass of herbal ice tea for adults and participation in the egg hunt and games for children, with each child receiving a small prize too. There is an extra charitable fee for the crafts of €3.50 with a portion of the proceeds going to the 'Stanna Needs Angels Fund' to assist Stanna Wieclawska pay for an urgently needed spinal operation to avoid paralysis.

Miranda Tringilis – owner of the gardens says: "Easter time is a fantastic opportunity for families to go out in the beautiful natural environment Cyherbia offers; kids can play in the clean air and sunshine and parents can join in or relax in the Tea Room. Cyherbia offers kids new adventures and educational activities on every visit."

For more details, contact: 99915443.

On Wednesday, April 23, Angela Ashby will be holding a Beatrix Potter themed Easter Spring Tea Party event at Faneromeni Park.

The whole event will revolve around author Beatrix Potter's charming characters, including Peter Rabbit, Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail.

The line-up of the games includes egg and spoon races, 'eggie' golf, an Easter hunt with a twist, hoppy races and pin-the-tail-on-the-bunny. Other activities will consist of face painting, story time and cut-outs to take funny photos.

At the end of the event, all the children will receive a spring-related surprise gift from Peter Rabbit's garden.

Taking place from 10am – 12pm, the event costs €5 per family, which includes all the games and a tea party with food. Participants are asked to bring a picnic blanket, drinking water… and their camera!

Organiser Angela Ashby says: "Beatrix Potter and her characters embody everything spring is about and this themed event will be fun and entertaining, and will feature children's favourite characters from the books. Faneromeni park provides plenty of shade, and the opportunity for families to stick around after the event and enjoy the park, so it's a complete day out for everyone."

For more details, contact: 97610998.

 

Flaounes

This was posted last year, but since then our members have multiplied and we now also have Famagusta, Paphos, Limassol Nicosia and Cyprus Parents Network, so I thought I'll share this with you all once again…………Flaounes....a little pastry parcel filled with a tasty cheese filling, traditionally made at Easter time in Cyprus. Sometimes food does not always just stimulate our taste buds, sometimes taking a bite might stimulate something deep inside us, a distant memory, a familiar feeling of surroundings lost in the past or fond memories of relatives that have passed away...flaounes always take me to a very special place,one bite takes me back to the happiest time in my childhood..my time in my beautiful little village, spent with my Grandmothers. You can only imagine the freedom felt by my brother and me as children, set free in an orchard,climbing trees,exploring the village and always treated with such fondness from the villagers because we were the grandchildren returned from England. Easter, though, was so special in the village, memories of my Grandmothers busy making koulourakia and of course these tasty flaounes, and going to Church on Saturday evening carrying my candle and a little basket filled with a flaouna and my bright red egg, ready to eat after the priest cried out 'Christos Anesti' at midnight!! I have never felt the same at Easter away from my little village, most of my relatives have visited Leonarisso in the North, always coming back with very sad reports, but I have never been, always feeling something stopping me from going...I feel I just don't want to spoil all those beautiful memories and just keep them special in my heart.... Christos Anesti!!!

For the dough

5 cups self-raising flour

2-3 tablespoons sugar (optional)

1 teaspoon baking powder

6-7 cherry mahaleb grains (available in local supermarkets)

6-7 small mastic grains (available in local supermarkets)

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup oil

1.5 cup lukewarm milk

For the filling

1 kg flaouna cheese or any other hard cheese

1/2 cup semolina

1 sachet Yeast

6-8 eggs

6-7 small mastic grains

1 teaspoon sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Fresh mint finely chopped

1 cup sultanas

1 1/2 cup sesame seeds

1 egg for brushing

Method

Grate the cheese one day in advance and place it in the fridge to dry. Stir once or twice.

Whisk the eggs for the filling and combine the cheese with the semolina and yeast.

 Add as many eggs as needed (about six) to make a rather firm mixture.

Cover with a kitchen towel and set aside.

Make the dough by mixing the flour , baking powder, mastic and the cherry mahaleb pounded with 1 teaspoon sugar. Pour in the oil and rub into the flour using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Knead with as much milk as needed to make a plyable dough.

Cover with a kitchen towel for half an hour.

Before starting rolling out the dough, finish the filling by adding the mint, baking powder, sultanas cherry mahaleb and the mastic pounded with 1 teaspoon sugar.

Stir well. Rinse the sesame seeds, drain and place on a kitchen towel.

Roll out the dough thinly to give a square shape of medium size.

Place each piece of dough on the sesame seeds and press on the bottom side only.Put some filling in the centre of each piece and fold the four sides to form a square shape, leaving the filling in the centre uncovered.

 Place the flaounes on an ungreased, lightly floured baking tray and brush them with some beaten egg.

Bake for about 40 minutes in a pre-heated, moderately hot oven (160*C) until golden brown.

Androulla xx