Rising Above Social Anxiety and Self-Marginalization – Fusing Music and Psychology in the Applied Voice Studio
There is no denying the positive impact that digital technology has had on humankind, including in education. As much as we have benefited, there has been increasing research conducted over the past twenty-five years concerned with its negative effects, particularly on child and adolescent development, both psychologically and academically. In what is referred to as an addiction, people of all ages all around the world constantly check their mobile phones for messages, posts to social media applications and more. For adolescents, using digital technology to communicate has become preferable over face-to-face communication – a change that may have directly affected their ability to manage their emotions amidst life’s changes and challenges, and to create and maintain healthy, real-world social relationships. In what can be called self-marginalization, adolescent voices have become more silent because of increased social anxiety. This lack of voice – and confidence – has led students to drop out of higher education institutions in the United States at rates that have remained high, particularly in the first and second years. This presentation will increase understanding about several manageable factors of academic dropout and anti-oppression curriculum that is yielding positive results in and out of the classroom. Fusing music and psychology in the applied voice studio is one method that has changed the lives of college students, strengthening both their inner and outer voices.
Session Objectives:
Illustrate the impacts of technology and social media use on adolescent mental health and managing the transition to college life
Describe a course module that raises awareness about emotional intelligence and self-marginalization as an anti-oppression curriculum
Examine the practice of fusing music and psychology in applied voice, motivating students to regularly reflect, evaluate and evolve toward non-toxic thinking and behaviors, turning NO to YES
