Middle School Students Attend Day of Deliberative Dialogue

From Middle School Assistant Principal Kristin Gilliland: "On Friday, November 15, a small group of Middle School students in Grades 7 and 8 had the opportunity to attend Close UP Washington DC’s ‘Morning of Deliberative Dialogue’. This half-day conference, hosted by Alexandria Country Day School and attended by a variety of local private schools, gave students the opportunity to engage in thoughtful discussions about online safety. 

Students were put into small groups to discuss the central question: What, if anything, should governments do to enhance online safety for young people? Through this lens, students also considered: How do young people use social media? The event offered an opportunity for them to share perspectives, listen to diverse viewpoints, and reflect on the complexities of online safety.

Reflecting on the experience, Grade 8 student Aliyah said “I felt that my group was a space where I could voice my own opinions and also hear from others. It gave me a chance on other sides of the story to these policies which allowed me to change some of my perspective.”

Grade 7 student Liliana shared, “My facilitator made our small group a very welcoming environment, one in which all voices mattered and were heard. I valued the multiple opinions in the room and although we didn’t all have the perspective, we were able to come to an agreement on the best next steps.”

After the conference, IDI Director Aldaine Wynter and I guided students through a thoughtful reflection and debrief using the 3 Whys Thinking Routine: Why might this topic matter to me? Why might it matter to people around me? Why might it matter to the world? 

Students shared that social media plays a vital role in staying connected, especially across time zones, but voiced concerns about government intervention feeling overly restrictive. Many emphasized the need to balance individual freedoms with addressing the mental health challenges posed by social media, advocating on responsible use rather than blanket restrictions. They acknowledged differences in maturity among young people and stressed the importance of parents and children working together to navigate social media safely. On a broader scale, students called for governments to hold tech companies accountable for regulating harmful content and underscored the importance of including youth voices in shaping these policies. Their reflections demonstrated a thoughtful and engaged approach to this critical and timely issue."