PRESS RELEASE: The Social Institute launches the Social Locker Room
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Social Institute launches the Social Locker Room to help parents teach children to use social media for good
Subscribers to the digital educational platform learn how to coach students to win the game of social media
Chapel Hill, North Carolina – August 15, 2017 – The Social Institute, which equips teens and their role models — from parents to Olympians — to win at social media, today released its latest offering. The Social Locker Room is a subscription-based digital educational platform built for parents struggling to help their kids successfully navigate social media as digital citizens.
“Social media isn’t all bad. But, if you were only taught the ‘don’ts’ in life and all your actions were monitored for missteps, you wouldn’t be very successful. Yet that’s how most children are taught to use social media,” explained Laura Tierney, founder, and president of The Social Institute. “We’re on a mission to change that with our new Social Locker Room. Think of it as a parents-only Cliff’s Notes for social media, updated in real time.”
The Social Locker Room will serve as an easy-to-read yet comprehensive guide for parents who struggle to keep up with constant changes being made to social media platforms and how students are using those platforms. The Social Institute does the research for parents and stays one step ahead of all social trends, then breaks down each platform to keep parents informed, students safe, and both focused on the most important updates, changes, and use cases.
A former student-athlete at Duke, Tierney draws parallels with social media and being part of a winning team. “Social media is a game played on the world’s largest stage, and kids need the best coaches to help them win,” said Tierney. “Using social media in positive ways can strengthen reputations, encourage and inspire others, help seize collegiate and career opportunities, and even change the world for the better. Despite the discouraging headlines, we see good things happen every day on social media. And we want to see more.”
With the Social Locker Room, parents can become winning coaches themselves with access to important ed tech features, such as:
- Platform Playbooks — Detailed explanations for how students can use the most popular platforms to be the best version of themselves, safely. Members will never read the word “don’t.”
- Huddles — Real-life social scenarios (developed by students who’ve experienced them) and positive talking points to help parents coach their kids through difficult and common situations.
- Wall of Fame — A list of more than 50 role models who are using the most popular platforms in positive, authentic ways. Students have a better chance of winning this game when these players are on their social team. As Marian Wright Edelman, an American activist for the rights of children, said, “You can’t be what you can’t see.” The Wall of Fame will help kids’ fill their feeds with positive social role models so we can ensure they are consuming the right messages on social.
“The Social Institute is on the forefront of ed tech with the Social Locker Room,” says Katie Richman, Facebook media solutions program lead and mother of two. “Laura’s positive approach and mission to empower students to do good instead of scaring them to avoid bad is innovative and fresh. I’ve not seen anything that compares to it. Parents will especially appreciate the Huddles, which introduce them to situations they never would have considered but that are common for students using social media.”
Susan Perry, Assistant Head of School for Student Affairs at Ravenscroft School in Raleigh, N.C., agrees: “Our students and parents have longed for a sustained message about how to connect conversations, use, and education about technology and social media. We feel our commitment to community health must include a systemic educational approach to understanding the potential positive impact “social” can bring, and we’re looking forward to offering this innovative tool to our parent community. The Social Institute is changing the way families and schools partner to understand social.”
A weekly newsletter ensures members are made aware of new or changes to platforms, the latest huddles, and emerging role models. Annual subscriptions are $95. For more information, visit www.TheSocialnstitute.com.
About The Social Institute
The Social Institute partners with schools nationwide to empower students, families, and educators to positively navigate social-emotional health, social media, and technology. Schools access our student-respected, turnkey curriculum through WinAtSocial.com, an interactive, gamified learning platform. With solutions for students, parents, and educators, we offer a systemic and comprehensive SEL program through a unique and positive approach. We are proud to serve public and independent partners such as Ravenscroft School, Woodward Academy, Oldfields School, All Saints Episcopal School, Lake Forest School District, Boston Public Schools, and more. For more information on how to empower your students to make high-character decisions online and off, please contact us.
About Laura Tierney
Before founding The Social Institute, Laura Tierney served as Social Media Director at the award-winning advertising agency McKinney, leading social media strategy for national and international brands. Earlier in her career, Laura helped ESPN use social media to launch espnW and inspire millions of women and girls who love sports. An unshakable optimist and a competitive athlete at heart, she was a 4-time Duke All-American, 2-time team captain, and Duke Athlete of the Decade for field hockey. Today, Laura is playing on behalf of students to equip them with skills, plays, and values that embody their daily digital needs. Through her work with The Social Institute, students now have the chance to win at the world’s largest game: social media.