The Ridgewood Blog Brings a Free Market Laissez-faire Point of View to Local, New Jersey State and National Issues.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, teenagers have a long history of being captivated by various forms of audio entertainment, from cassette players and iPods to smartphones. However, with the advent of social media, the intensity of this attraction has reached unprecedented levels, with YouTube emerging as a prominent platform for teens, as per the latest findings from the Pew Research Center.
file photo by Boyd Loving
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) today announced a new online application for teenagers who need working papers – at MyWorkingPapers.nj.gov – launching June 1.
Continue reading NJ Teens to Get Working Papers Online Starting June 1st
file photo by Boyd Loving
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, thanks to a new law, the working papers process will be online and streamlined. Rather than going through local schools, younger workers will simply visit this site and be walked through a few easy steps.
Continue reading The Way Teens Obtain Working Papers in New Jersey will Change on June 1, 2023!
photo by Boyd Loving
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Most Americans believe it’s important for young people to work during the summer, and don’t think it will be very difficult for teens to find jobs in the current economy.
Continue reading An Overwhelming Majority of Americans Say Summer Jobs Important for Teens
If you are close to a young person caught in the grips of a dangerous ideology, you may feel a moral responsibility to show that young person a way out. Here are some tips based on experience teaching young adults and research into the subject.
First, resist the temptation to reason. It is not an inability to reason that leads people to these positions. They are motivated instead by deep, often latent psychological drives, such as the desire to belong or be part of what has been portrayed as an important crusade.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewod NJ, its seems members of the “Ridgewood for Black Liberation” group is now attempting to recruit teens to their cause . On Wednesday July 29th the group held a ZOOM meeting “just for teens”, no teachers or facility invited. The 20 something leaders were looking for RHS students interested in “social justice” code for Marxism . The Ridgewood blog is curious about how parents feel about having their teen recruited buy grown adults ?
Continue reading “Ridgewood for Black Liberation” Recruiting Ridgewood High School Teens
photo by ArtChick
May 21,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Far fewer teens are working now than they did 20 years ago, according to the U.S. Labor Department, which reported almost 60% of teens had a job in 1979 compared to 34% in 2015.
Experts say that paid work has value for a number of reasons — and that teens (even those who plan to go to college) who don’t do it may be at a disadvantage. “It’s critical for teenagers to work, to begin to understand the working world, the value of a paycheck” says Gene Natali, co-author of “The Missing Semester” and a senior vice president at Pittsburgh investment firm C.S. McKee. “Choosing not to work a paid job has consequences.”
Applications are being sought for the many summer positions available with the Parks and Recreation Department including Day Camp Administrators and Counselors, Graydon Pool Lifeguards, Security Attendants, and Badge Sale Attendants. Concession Attendant applications will be shared with the Water’s Edge vendor.
NOTE: Day Camp staff attendance is mandatory for the full six week program, June 25 to August 3, 2018 as well as pre-camp trainings.
Applicants should be at least 16 years of age. All will be considered for experience, interests, and accomplishments.
All hires require an approved Ridgewood Police Department criminal background check.
Mail completed applications to The Stable, 259 N. Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ 07450. Accompanying resumes are suggested.
August 30,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, the CDC and multiple states are investigating a multistate outbreak of human Salmonella infections linked to contact with pet turtles.
Thirty-seven people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Agbeni have been reported from 13 states.
Illnesses started on dates ranging from March 1, 2017 to August 3, 2017
Of 33 people with available information, 16 have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.
Twelve (32%) ill people are children 5 years of age or younger.
Epidemiologic and laboratory findings link the outbreak of human Salmonella Agbeni infections to contact with turtles or their environments, such as water from a turtle habitat.
In interviews, ill people answered questions about contact with animals during the week before becoming ill. Fifteen (45%) of the 33 people interviewed reported contact with turtles or their environments, such as water from a turtle habitat, before getting sick.
In interviews with 9 ill people about where their turtles came from, 6 reported buying a turtle from a flea market or street vendor, or receiving the turtle as a gift.
In 2015, state and local health officials collected samples from turtles at a street vendor. Whole genome sequencing(https://www.cdc.gov/pulsenet/pathogens/wgs.html) showed that the Salmonella Agbeni isolated from ill people in this outbreak is closely related genetically to the Salmonella Agbeni isolates from turtles. This close genetic relationship means that people in this outbreak are more likely to share a common source of infection.
Do not buy small turtles as pets or give them as gifts.
Since 1975, the FDA has banned selling and distributing turtles with shells less than 4 inches long as pets because they are often linked to Salmonella infections, especially in young children.
All turtles, regardless of size, can carry Salmonella bacteria even if they look healthy and clean. These outbreaks are a reminder to follow simple steps(https://www.cdc.gov/Features/salmonellafrogturtle/) to enjoy pet reptiles and keep your family healthy.
This outbreak is expected to continue since consumers might be unaware of the risk of Salmonella infection from small turtles. If properly cared for, turtles have a long life expectancy.
May 17, 2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Since the Tyler Clementi Foundation began a partnership with AT&T a few months ago, they have been able to expand our reach and work to end bullying. TCF collaborated on an extensive poll of New York-area teens and parents to uncover attitudes and behaviors related to cyberbullying. The results were substantial. Nearly half of all teens say they have been bullied online. 8 in 10 know someone who has been the victim of cyberbullying.Read the full results of our poll here!
On May 14th TCF joined AT&T and the All American High School Film Festival in kicking off an exciting opportunity for 100 New York-area student filmmakers, as they compete at the national Teen Film Festival. The teens created films focused on the personal effects of cyberbullying. We are honored to be a partner for this incredible event. The films produced and the relationships built during this weekend will create more compassion and respect at high schools across the New York area.
The videos are a powerful and emotional lens into the experience of being cyber-bullied, by teens and for teens. Check out one of the submissions below:
Gold Coast Film Festival Submission: Stop Bullying PSA : https://youtu.be/rnxn1BRgLlM
April 12,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, When a bright, happy preteen evolves into a self-absorbed or anxious teenager, apprehensive parents can’t help but wonder, “What’s wrong with my child?”
The answer could be “nothing,” other than the typical struggles adolescents have always faced, says Jeffrey Leiken, author of “Adolescence is Not a Disease: Beyond Drinking, Drugs and Dangerous Friends – The Journey to Adulthood” (www.Leiken.com).
As CEO of Evolution Mentoring International, Leiken provides mentoring for teens and young adults, going beyond the typical work of a therapist by building a relationship so that they come to see Leiken as a trusted confidant who answers their late-night text messages and isn’t quick to label them.
“I don’t start with the premise that there is something wrong with them that needs to be fixed,” Leiken says. “The teens and young adults I work with often are saner than the system they are in – a system that seems to forget we are raising humans, not building robots.”
Parents sometimes get caught up in that system, too, but in many cases they just need to chill, he says.
Leiken says parents who want to prepare teenagers for the day they will venture out on their own should:
• “Great advice, wrong source” – Enlist the aid of other adults. Parents are puzzled when they give excellent advice that their teenager promptly ignores. But adolescents often discard words of wisdom from their parents that they would embrace if the guidance came from someone else. That’s why it’s important to enlist the help of other adults who can offer coaching, training and guidance to the teen.
• Avoid letting fear be the guide. Too many parents are on edge, worried that if their teen isn’t in the top 1 percent of the high school class, they will be denied hope for economic prosperity, status and independence. Their anxieties can rub off on young people who become hesitant to take risks for fear of endangering their future. Instead of scaring them, parents need to encourage teens to step outside their comfort zones and take risks that will help them grow into confident, well-rounded adults.
• Help teens eliminate choices. One popular bit of advice parents hear is they should encourage teenagers to keep all their options open. That sounds like a good strategy, but isn’t. In reality, parents need to encourage teens to eliminate options – such as for colleges or careers – that aren’t and never will be right for them. The teens’ decision-making abilities will increase as a result.
“Parents also need to realize they don’t have to become experts in raising teenagers,” Leiken says. “They just have to become expert in raising their own teenager.”
About Jeffrey Leiken
Jeffery Leiken (www.Leiken.com) is the CEO of Evolution Mentoring International and is co-founder of HeroPath International. Leiken also is author of “Adolescence is Not a Disease: Beyond Drinking, Drugs and Dangerous Friends – The Journey to Adulthood.” He has presented at TED in Athens, Greece; guest lectured at Stanford University; and facilitated programs for teenagers on three continents and in seven countries, among other accomplishments. He has a master’s degree in educational counseling.
By Lisa Rapaport
(Reuters Health) – Rule-breaking may be just as irresistible to teenagers today as it was in their parents’ day, but a new study of secret social media hashtags like #selfharmmm suggests that new technology is helping kids share dangerous behaviors more easily than ever before.
When it comes to what’s known as non-suicidal self-injury – cutting, burning and scratching done with damage rather than death in mind – teens can be quite crafty at deploying hashtags that mask their activities, evade content safeguards and advisory warnings, and make it much harder for parents to monitor their virtual lives.
“The online communities that develop around these hashtags can draw in adolescents and provide them a strong sense of belonging and support that is centered on these unhealthy behaviors,” said lead study author Dr. Megan Moreno, a specialist in adolescent medicine at the University of Washington and Seattle Children’s Research Institute.
“This can make recovery from these behaviors more challenging,” Moreno added by email.
Moreno and colleagues used the search term #selfharmmm to identify public posts on the social media platform Instagram, a photo-sharing service popular with teens, that related to destructive habits like cutting and burning.
Then, they used the search results to identify a list of ambiguous hashtags such as #blithe, #MySecretFamily and #SecretSociety123 that were tied to the same dangerous behaviors.
Other hashtags related to mental health conditions through use of common names, such as #Deb for depression, #Annie for anxiety, and #Olive for obsessive-compulsive disorder.
The number of search results for self-harm hashtags was high and grew over time.
The broad term #cat, which refers to cutting, had more than 44 million search results in 2014 and more than 56 million in 2015, the study team reports in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
Over that same period, use of #selfharmmm also grew, generating 1.7 million search results in 2014 and more than 2.4 million in 2015. In its various permutations, #SecretSociety123 grew by approximately 500,000 search results.
Matthew Diebel, USATODAY12:17 p.m. EST November 3, 2015
You’ve probably seen it – a teenager rocking to music blasting from headphones while also texting, checking out Facebook and watching TV.
And, supposedly, doing homework.
For those people who date back to pre-handheld-device days and who found it hard enough to concentrate on homework even without digital distractions, the sight of multitasking teens is mind-boggling.
It’s also more prevalent than you might think.
A new report by Common Sense Media, a San Francisco-based non-profit that tracks children and their technology use, finds that teens age 13 to 18 spend almost nine hours a day – that’s longer than they usually sleep – on “entertainment media,” which includes things like checking out social media, music, gaming or online videos.
Shocking toll of social media on girls’ mental health: How sexualised images are fuelling rise in anxiety among pupils aged 11 to 13
Sexualised adverts and social media leading to emotional problems in girls
Girls aged between 11 and 13 more affected than they were five years ago
Rise may be linked to seeing women portrayed as sex objects, study finds
By SARA SMYTH FOR THE DAILY MAIL
PUBLISHED: 18:00 EST, 19 April 2015 | UPDATED: 03:37 EST, 20 April 2015
Sexualised images of women in advertising and social media are leading to an increase in emotional problems among young girls, new figures suggest.
Girls aged between 11 and 13 are now more likely to worry, lack confidence or feel nervous than they were five years ago because they feel under pressure.
The rise in girls suffering from emotional problems may be linked to stress brought on by seeing images of women portrayed as sex objects on Facebook, Twitter and other websites, researchers from University College London believe.
Teens Need Summer Jobs. Too Bad There Aren’t Many.
Stephen Moore / @StephenMoore / July 06, 2014
School’s out, and I’m terrified my two teenage boys won’t get a job this summer and will sit around watching TV, playing computer games or just eating me out of house and home. Idle hands really are the devil’s workshop, and at this stage, I’d pay an employer to get the kids out of the house and teach them some practical lifetime skills.
My first job was working at a warehouse for $2.35 an hour in suburban Chicago. The first job for me – and many others – was one of the most important.
But in many areas this summer, kids won’t have an easy time finding work. The teen unemployment rate is already above 20 percent in many areas. Meanwhile, Seattle just became the latest city to raise its minimum wage – to double the minimum and all the way to $15 an hour. If you aren’t worth $15 an hour, it is now illegal for you to hold a job in Seattle. The White House wants to raise the federal minimum from $7.25 to $10.10 over the next several years.
Many California cities and at least a dozen states are talking about creating a similar “super” minimum wage above the federal minimum. The idea is to reduce income inequality and raise wages for workers at the bottom of the scale.
The debate rages about whether this will actually raise wages or simply make it nearly impossible for the young to find paid work. Some liberals argue that raising the minimum wage will increase employment. In other words, making workers more expensive will evidently make employers hire more of them.
But we don’t have to debate what the effect of a higher minimum wage will have on young people. We already know from recent history. In 2007 and 2008 the minimum wage was raised three times. This wage hike requirement came at the worst possible time – just as the U.S. economy was entering recession. The effects on teen employment were immediate and devastating. The national teen unemployment rate nearly doubled. At one point during the recession in 2009, the black teen unemployment rate was nearly 50 percent, which is the rate in many third-world nations.
Also, teenage work participation plummeted to below 40 percent. In other words, as jobs became scarcer, teens either couldn’t get a job or just gave up even trying to find one. The lasting impact of this high teenage unemployment and low entry into the workforce is sharply negative. Wages later in life are higher when the young work earlier.
Skeptics say the teen unemployment rate soared only because the economy was in recession and jobs were hard to come by for every age group. True, but the teen rate rose fastest. They were the first tossed out of jobs. And as labor economist Richard Vedder of Ohio University has shown, when jobs are scarce, the solution to reducing unemployment is to allow employers to offer lower wages temporarily, not to raise the wage requirement, which only exacerbates the jobless problem.
We know about half the workers earning the minimum wage are below the age of 25. Very few minimum wage workers are the head of a household or the primary earner. Most minimum wage workers receive a pay raise within six months on the job. This is a training wage. Only about one in 20 workers is paid the minimum wage and the median wage is three times the minimum, or $24 an hour.
I love my sons (sometimes I don’t like them, though), but few employers would pay them $10 or $12 or $15 an hour. They just don’t have the skills to merit that kind of wage. Wouldn’t it be better for kids to have a job that pays $5 or $6 an hour than no job at all?
The victims of a higher minimum wage are the young and the unskilled. They are left on the jobs sideline when the wage requirement rises. This is why my own work finds that states with high minimum wages actually have MORE income inequality than those with lower minimum wages.
With about 17 million Americans out of work, not looking for work or just unable to find a full-time job, now is the worst time to raise the minimum wage. But if we do, at least let us have a federal teen minimum wage of $5 an hour. Call it a Training Wage. Let kids learn how to become productive and learn vital job skills at a young age.
This on-the-job training will pay off double or triple in the future as these teens turn into adults. It will also keep kids out of trouble this summer. There is something much worse than a minimum wage job and that is laziness, which doesn’t pay a penny.
humm how about the US Marines
The $300-per-hour ‘summer planner’ for teens
By Tara Palmeri
June 23, 2014 | 2:46am
Deep-pocketed parents are shelling out big bucks to make sure their kids are able to navigate one of life’s biggest hurdles — summer.
For about $300 an hour, experts will assist teens in managing their fun in the sun, all in an effort to help them craft that killer “How I Spent My Summer Vacation” essay and land a spot at a top college.
“In terms of writing his college essays, it was pretty much a slam-dunk,” said Marla Isackson, 57, of Tenafly, NJ, who hired “professional summer planner” Jill Tipograph to plan two trips for her son Josh, who now attends Yale.
“We made an investment in our child. It was important to us, and it was our priority.”
Josh spent two summers in China and used the experience to write the college essay that got him into the Ivy League school.
“When you apply to college, [they] look at a kid in his or her entirety in terms of interests and grades and standardized tests,” Isackson said. “The kids want to present themselves as a story.
“The fact that China was a part of his story, I think, made his story much more authentic and believable — who is this kid, what are his interests, what makes him tick,” she added.
https://nypost.com/2014/06/23/parents-can-hire-a-summer-planner-for-kids-at-300-per-hour/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=NYPFacebook&utm_medium=SocialFlow
