Today I have a video about how I process and manage my feelings of anxiety around Zoom.
In the video, I talk about how I make myself comfortable, and figure out my boundaries and limits. I’ve found it really helpful for my digital social anxiety to remove distractions on my side, take breaks to move around, and turn down the volume and make more space when I feel overstimulated.
I also talk about how Zoom is really different from in-person interaction, and encourage you to continue that conversation with your kiddos. For me, the muting feature feels most alien. You can ask, what feels different or the same about zoom? How does it feel to be muted sometimes? How does it feel to see into people’s homes and see their pets and toys?
As an activity, you can make a new comfy spot with your kiddo for their next zoom hangout–can a fort or peace corner be adapted into a comfortable place for digital interaction? What about a blanket outside? And, what are the noises in this environment?
Lastly, here is an article that talks about anxiety during covid for parents and children, and an article that talks specifically about social anxiety during social distancing and digital communication. Kids notice how we feel about technology and digital interaction, and these articles offer strategies for digital social anxiety and for helping kids maintain social relationships that are important to them but may be strained through the use of technology.
As always, I am happy to chat about these things with you and/or your kiddos! We are navigating exhausting strangeness, all of us.
–Teacher Madeleine