A recent piece on the ABC News website, entitled "Meet The Dad Who Recorded His Daughter's Epic Selfie Spree", related the story of 13 year old Skylar Beckham who, according to the information, takes about 50 selfies a day. Her father filmed her during one such session and placed the recording on YouTube, where it garnered over one million views.
"From my vantage point as a positive psychologist specializing in girls, tweens and teens," Dr. Holstein stated, "I see Skylar's fascination with herself as very healthy. Her pictures that she sends to her friends are artistic, dramatic and full of life. They allow her to express on many levels personal feelings and facial mannerisms than we typically don't allow in our society. However, the pictures her father took when she was preparing a Selfie don't do her a favor. They reveal a private moment that should have stayed private. Selfies should remain the privileged decision of the girl taking them, not the unexpected decision of someone else."
"Psychologically, Selfies are good for personal development at any age as they allow us to express, by our choice, extra dimensions of ourselves. Let's keep it that way. These are portraits of ourselves that technology now offers us. Like all technology we must treat it with respect and in doing so our kids and even our grandmas can 'show off' and keep a record of their lives, while feeling good about themselves in ways that work for them and certainly don't hurt anyone."
Dr. Holstein is fascinated with how selfies have impacted society, and the effects on teens and tweens. She recently released "The Truth, Diary Of A Gutsy Tween". The new book is a revised and expanded edition of her very successful book, 'The Truth: I'm a Girl, I'm Smart and I Know Everything'. The new book is published by Sky Pony Press.
Dr. Holstein is also offering Creative performance workshops. The first one took place on Thursday, July 31 at the While House on Monmouth Rd. in Oakhurst, New Jersey. The tweens made Selfie posters about what makes them gutsy. Then they performed in videos based on story lines from 'The Truth, Diary of a Gutsy Tween'. What made the experience creative and unique for the tweens was that they got to act as the girl and her best friend Angela in scenes based on the book, but then they got to do improvisational work where they developed the characters and the solutions to their problems way beyond what is written in the diary. This was an amazing experience for the tweens, helping them to recognize not only their acting abilities but abilities to create, solve problems and modify beyond the script given to them. They left the Workshop feeling empowered, which is what being gutsy is all about.
A Facebook page, thetruthforgirls, highlights many of the topics woven into "The Truth". Articles, videos, remarks, conversations, visuals, on this page center around many of the issues that tweens face growing up. These include: self-esteem issues, quarreling in families, divorce, moving to a new home, a new school, best friends, a crush, bullies, a death in the family, money issues, not feeling pretty, feeling sad, feeling lonely, jealousy and more. Dr. Holstein's book for teens and tweens is a first in using fiction for positive psychology.
Her second book in The Truth Series is “Secrets: You Tell Me Yours and I’ll Tell You Mine…Maybe!” Now the girl is 13. She handles many adolescent issues, including a crush, moving, a death in the family, feeling fat and problems with girlfriends. 'Secrets' provides a book kids and parents and grandparents can share and use as a sounding board for needed communication between the generations.
Both “The Truth” and “Secrets” are great for parents, grandparents, older siblings and teachers to establish lines of communication with the tweens and teens in their lives. Both books are being re-released by Sky Pony Press.
Dr. Holstein believes that getting in touch with one's strengths, talents and potential at every age, as well as learning how to hold on to the wise, playful, happy, gutsy and energetic girl that still resides within each woman is essential for mental health.
To assist this process she has written many books, including: case study material as presented in ‘The Enchanted Self, A Positive Therapy’; inspirational stories as presented in ‘Recipes for Enchantment, The Secret Ingredient is YOU’ and romance, mystery books designed to bring fun, excitement, romance and positive psychological truths into women's lives. Latest books are: Parts 1 and 2 of ‘Next Year in Jerusalem’, available in paper and as e-books; Parts 1,2 and 3 of ‘Next Year in Jerusalem’ available in one book, incorporated into ‘Around Every Corner, Romance & Mystery...’.
Dr. Holstein is available for media interviews and can be reached using the information below or by email at drbarbara@enchantedself.com. All of her works are available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and all other online retailers. More information is available at her website at http://www.NewRomanceBooks.com. Videos from the first Creative Performance Workshop are available on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIMJ00jmjVO_TzOKTRUEF1eoS3n4uHfCp
Profile:
Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein, internationally known Positive Psychologist is the creator of The Enchanted Self ®, a positive psychology method for happiness. She is in private practice in Long Branch, New Jersey with her husband, Dr. Russell M. Holstein.
Dr. Barbara can be found on the web, interviewed, writing articles and posting video 'TED' style talks on Happiness, Postive Psychology, Relationships and Parenting.
She has been a contributor to Heart and Soul, Cosmopolitan Magazine, Redbook, Real Simple, The Wall Street Journal, Time on line, the Today Show and Family Circle Magazine.
‘The Enchanted Self, A Positive Therapy’ is in its second printing through Brunner-Routledge. ‘Recipes for Enchantment, The Secret Ingredient is YOU!’ received rave reviews as an inspirational storybook. ‘DELIGHT’ is available in two versions, paperback and a CD that includes music, art, and Dr. Holstein’s voice.
Other works include ‘The Truth, (I’m a girl, I’m Smart and I Know Everything)’, 'Secrets: You Tell Me Yours and I’ll Tell You Mine…Maybe!’ and 'Around Every Corner: Romance And Mystery . . . '
Contact:
Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein
170 Morris Ave.,
Long Branch, New Jersey 07740
732-571-1200
www.newromancebooks.com
www.next-year-in-jerusalem.com
www.enchantedself.com
www.thetruthforgirls.com
drbarbara@enchantedself.com
https://www.facebook.com/thetruthforgirls?ref=br_tf
Twitter: @truth4girls
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