On October 21, Rye Country Day School welcomed Max Stossel, the founder of Social Awakening, an organization dedicated to helping young people survive and thrive in the modern world. Previously, Mr. Stossel was a media strategist, with a background in running social media for big brands, and worked for a social media company where he designed notifications to distract people. Now for the past seven years, he has transitioned to speaking with students, parents, and educators about social media’s impact on our lives and creating resources to help manage that impact. 

Mr. Stossel first spoke with Middle and Upper School students. In his presentations to both divisions, Mr. Stossel illustrated some of the ways technology is designed to be addictive and distracting, and he provided the students with tools to help combat those designs. He offered practical tips on how students could thoughtfully manage how much time they spend on social media and on best practices so students can stay safe in the digital world. He also encouraged the students to have conversations with their peers about the impact of phones and social media in their daily lives. Some questions he posed for them to reflect on were “Which apps/games make you feel good afterwards and which make you feel bad afterward?” and “Is there an app on your phone that you know is bad for your mental health or time, and why?”

"Building healthy habits for using social media and technology is an important goal for our community. This is an area where many of us could use some support, so it was wonderful to have Max on campus to share his wisdom with us." - Dr. Kamauru Johnson, Director of Counseling Support Services

Later in the evening, RCDS and the Parents Association partnered with Heard in Rye to kickoff the 2024-25 Heard in Rye speaker series with a presentation from Mr. Stossel for parents and guardians. He touched on similar themes and educated parents about strategies they could use to support their children’s healthy internet use. Mr. Stossel highlighted how parents could better facilitate the intentional use of technology and be informed on social media alternatives to create healthier tech usage. 

Heard in Rye is a community-run initiative bringing distinguished experts in parenting and education for speaker events in Rye and neighboring towns. Thank you to Max Stossel, Heard in Rye, the Parents Association, and the RCDS Counseling team for collaborating to bring this meaningful subject to the local community!