Our young people face challenges we cannot imagine. A recent youth poll published by the Harvard Institute Of Politics found that "Half of young Americans experience anxiety, and it is correlated with views related to state of our nation." Small wonder. Our nation seems to downplay climate change and gun control, two issues that have a direct effect on the anxiety level of young people. These are issues that threaten their very lives. Nowhere is this more evident than in the anxiety level experienced by young children in lockdown situations across the country.
Imagine an alarm blaring and a PA announcement that tells you to crawl under a piece of furniture, turn out all the lights and be silent as gunshots come closer and closer just outside the door. Can we even imagine the anxiety that must produce? No, yet our children are exposed to it, some many times, in a place where they should feel safe.
What do we say to our children? How do we say it? Positive Psychologist and award-winning selfie filmmaker Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein has the answers to those questions.
"A recent story on the Washington Post website detailed some of the psychological effects school lockdowns create in school age children," Holstein stated. "The story was as heartbreaking as it was eye-opening. Some young children weep with terror. Others write final messages to family members - and worse.
"Our children do not deserve to be subjected to such horrific lockdown situations in places where they should feel safe. Sadly though, it is necessary. Therefore the question we must ask ourselves as parents, grandparents and educators is - 'What can we do to help them?'
"We must help our children feel comfortable expressing their emotions, from joyous to despairing. Typically it is easy to be delighted and happy when kids express delight and are in a good mood. However when a child is cross, or pouting, crying over ‘nothing’ or having some sort of meltdown we are less resourceful as adults. We yell, we put down, we try punishments. Often we are unsuccessful.
"Kids have dark emotions just as we do. Kids hear the news and watch TV. They are fully aware of what it means to have an 'active shooter' in a school. Most of us never had to worry about our safety once we entered the school building. In fact, for many, school was seen as a kind of sanctuary, a place away from a dysfunctional family, or a place with a great library and a free lunch and even milk in the morning.
"Kids today often see school as a kind of battlefield. Their nerves are on edge. Will there be a shouting today? Will it be my school this time? Often kids don’t know how to express their anxiety successfully. As a psychologist I recognize the importance of venting the more difficult emotions and thoughts we experience.
"One way to get started is to encourage your child to make a Selfie video on what is on her mind about school. Then watch it together, if your child is comfortable with that and discuss the issues brought up.
"Giving a child a chance to privately vent and then moving toward a discussion about how she feels in school can be very helpful to both of you. Maybe there are things you can do as a parent to make things better, from more understanding at home to involvement with the school system to political action around gun laws, better mental health access and other issues that will ultimately improve the safety of schools for all.
"I am making my latest film 'Lock Down' available to parents and educators at the same time it will be entered in film festivals. We have no time to waste in dealing with the safety of our kids, physically and emotionally. I hope 'Lock Down' will help generate the type of compassionate concern and connection that moves us as a society to thoughtful and timely solutions.
Holstein's short films have won numerous awards and accolades.
The Truth A Short Film:
Garden State Film Festival Premier - Best Pop Song 2016
Golden Door Int. Film Festival - Official Selection - September 2016
Grove Film Festival - Showing - May 2017
Female Filmmakers Film Festival - Official Selection - 12th of 92 films
Roselle Park Shorts Film Festival - Official Selection - September 2017
The Truth A Short Short Film:
FilmOneFest Premier - July 2016
Chain Film Festival - Official Selection - August 2016
Jersey City Int. Television and Film Festival - Official Selection - November 2016
Hang On To Your Shorts Film Festival - Official Selection- May 2017
Secrets A Coming Of Age Selfie Film:
Alice Guy-Blache Women In Cinema Award - Nomination - October 2017, Golden Door International Film Festival
NewFilmmakers, Manhattan- Official Selection, January 24, 2018
Brightside Tavern Shorts Fest Film Series - Best Experimental Film nomination - March 2018
Brightside Tavern Shorts Fest Film Series - Best New Jersey Short nomination - March 2018
Brightside Tavern Shorts Fest Film Series - Best Concept nomination - March 2018
Hang on To Your Shorts, Official Selection - April 2018, Nominated for Best New Jersey Drama and Best Experimental Film
Awarded: Best Educational Film Award at the Jersey Shore Film Festival, August, 2018
Shown March 1 1018 as one of 6 outstanding women’s films at the Behane Center in Jersey City, for Women’s History Month by Golden Door International Film Festival.
Brightside Tavern Film Festival, Season 7 - Best Experimental Film - March 2018
Jersey Shore Film Festival - Best Educational Film - August 2018
Indie Awards - Award of Recognition in 3 categories: Women Filmmakers, Leading Actress and Educational / Instruction / Training
Falling In Love A Coming Of Age Selfie Film:
Brightside Tavern Film Festival-March 2017- Best Experimental Film Nomination, Second Place Award as Best New Jersey Film Short
Grove Film Festival, Official Selection-May 2017
Hang On To Your Shorts Film Festival - Best Experimental Film nomination - May 2017
Hang On To Your Shorts Film Festival - Best Concept Film nomination - May 2017
Hang On To Your Shorts Film Festival - Megan Brown Rising Star Award - May 2017
Love Shorts Film Festival - Official Selection - February 2018
Special Mention Award - One-Reeler Short Film Competition
Conflict:
Official selection to premiere at the New Jersey International Film Festival at Rutgers University on June 9th, 2018
Semi-finalist in the JELLY Fest Film Festival, June, 2018
Official Selection Golden Door International Film Festival - September 2018
Honorable Mention Award: One-Reeler Short Film Competition
Angst:
Official Selection for the Brightside Tavern Film Festival in early August, 2018
Selfie:
Official selection at the One Minute Film Fest, Teaneck, New Jersey, September 8, 2018
The Medium, A Coming of Age, Selfie Film
Selected to be screened at the Young Filmmakers's Screenings in Manhattan in early March, 2019.
Selected to be screened at Brightside Tavern Film Festival, March 3, 2019. Megan Brown nominated for Best Actress.
The Selfie Project Pilot
Independent Shorts Award - Certificate of Achievement Los Angeles, December 2018
Global Indian Film Festival - Selected for screening - Mumbai India, January 2019
Best Shorts Competition - Awards of Recognition - The Selfie Project Educational/Instructional/Training
Independent Talents International Film Festival- Semi-Finalist
Screened at Brightside Tavern Film Festival, March 3, 2019. Awarded for Best Concept for a Film.
Selected to be screened at the Northeast Mountain Film Festival 2019 in June
Selected to be screened at Hang On To Your Shorts Film Festival in Asbury Park on May 5th 2019 and is up for the Best Documentary Award
To be screened in June, 2019 at the Ramsgate International Film and TV Festival in Kent, England
Conflict and a Bit of Magic, A Coming of Age Selfie Film
To be screened at 52 Weeks Film Festival
Semi-finalist 52 weeks Film Festival
Global Film Festival Awards, January 2019; Award Winner
Winner for Best Indie Filmmaker: Barbara Becker Holstein; Winner for Best Young Actor: Megan Brown
Independent Talents International Film Festival, Semi-Finalist
Rome Independent Prisma Awards
'Secrets' was selected for inclusion in "Passages: Women in Transition," Women In Media - Newark's 2018 Women's History Month film festival, held on March 27 – April 5, 2018 at Rutgers University Newark, New Jersey, and at various satellite venues in the area.
'Falling in Love, A Coming of Age, Selfie Film, is detailed in a new ebook: 'A Selfie Film - Falling In Love' by Dr. Holstein. This ebook presents issues and stories behind the creation of Dr. Holstein's "selfie films", which utilize cutting edge New Media technology. Topics and questions for discussion can be used by a parent and a child, or a group of hundreds as universal subjects of growing up and handling tough issues are presented.
Dr. Holstein makes a number of her books and films available to be used as fundraising tools. She requests that any verified charitable organization interested in raising funds contact her via email. She is available for media interviews and can be reached using the information below or by email at barbara.holstein@gmail.com. More information about all of the above is available at her website at http://www.enchantedself.com.
Profile:
Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein, internationally known Positive Psychologist is the creator of The Enchanted Self ®, a positive psychology method for happiness and a pioneer in Selfies as Film. Dr. Holstein's Enchanted Self website was included as one of the best websites in positive psychology. 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, Positive Psychology, Relationships and Parenting.
She has been a contributor to Your Tango, Heart and Soul, Cosmopolitan Magazine, Redbook, Real Simple, The Wall Street Journal, Time on line, the Today Show and Family Circle Magazine.
Contact:
Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein
170 Morris Ave.,
Long Branch, New Jersey 07740
barbara.holstein@gmail.com
732-571-1200
http://www.enchantedself.com
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