VANCOUVER – With its latest Telus Wise happiness workshop announced Wednesday, Telus is hoping to equip teens in grades 9 through 12 with the better skills and practices for ensuring mental resilience and well-being in our digital world.
Tips offered in the workshop include taking occasional digital breaks, being aware of and limiting social comparisons that can get in the way of our happiness and practicing the Joy of Missing Out (JOMO) as opposed to the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO). The workshop has been announced support of World Mental Health Day, on October 10.
The happiness workshop was developed with input from psychologists Joe Flanders, founder and director of MindSpace and assistant professor in the McGill University Psychology Department, and Laurie Santos, professor of psychology at Yale University, and is available in English and French.
It tackles relevant online issues facing youth such as excessive digital use and comparison to others. The workshop is available online and face to face, hosted in-person by a Telus Wise Ambassador. The online workshop can be completed individually, or as a group, such as in a classroom setting.
“There is growing concern that children are increasingly living virtual lives through online technologies, which could potentially limit their learning and development in the real world,” said Flanders, in the release. “I’m thrilled to be a part of the TELUS Wise initiative, which I’m convinced will help children use technology judiciously, allowing them to enjoy the incredible benefits, without compromising their safety or connection to the present moment.”
Telus Wise also offers a variety of additional workshops and resources to further help Canadians of all ages have a positive experience as digital citizens.
