APRIL 2026
Upcoming Events
Wednesday, 4/1 at noon - WHEN Coalition Meeting in person at the Webster Chamber of Commerce and online via Google Meet. See details and register here.
SAVE THE DATE 4/11, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. - Community Arts Day Look for WHEN’s table at Webster Central PTSA’s Community Arts Day (CAD) at Webster Schroeder High School, where we intend to be a ray of sunshine for the community! We need a few adult & teen volunteers to help out at the event on 4/11 between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM sign up here to help for an hour or two. You’ll see a ton of neighbors and friends and have a blast with the kids! Follow the Community Arts Day facebook page to stay up to date.
SAVE THE DATE April 25, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. - National Drug Take Back Day. WHEN, the Town of Webster, and the Webster Police Department are hosting a DEA National Drug Take Back event at the Webster Town Court. Help keep drugs out of the wrong hands by clearing out your medicine cabinet and safely disposing of your expired or unwanted medications. the collection location will be in front of the Webster Justice Court Building at 1002 Ridge Rd, Webster, NY 14580 (look for the blue roof!). This is a drive-through event. See full details. We need help! Please sign up here to lend a hand at this event.
Webster Headlines
Happy birthday to these WHEN members celebrating in April:
Michelle B., Babette B., Pamela G., Amanda T., Kaitlyn V., Bronwen G., Timothy B., and Carla L.
Above the Influence participants at our middle schools created the posters shown below, which hang in their schools. Students also implemented a drug quiz at their schools during lunches. The results confirmed that most students overestimate their peers' use of substances, which is dangerous because it leads them to believe "everyone is doing it". WHEN is planning social campaigns to counter this misperception with facts.
March marked our Annual Coalition Meeting, where business was conducted. Read the full meeting minutes here.
That’s a wrap!
WHEN has wrapped up our Family Game Night and Lunchtime Legends programs for this school year, and what a fabulous success they have become! Our Programming committee, headed by Linda Dioguardi, has worked hard to refine these programs to not only be fun and engaging for participants, but to also introduce WHEN to community members who were not familiar with us, practice protective factors in real time, and educate families and students about drug prevention.
This year, attendance at Family Game Nights continued to grow and we collected surveys monitoring parents’ perception of harm from substance use from nearly all our adult participants. We also included a looping slide show at these events, highlighting our work in the community. In addition, families left with a “Dinnertime Dilemmas" handout to jumpstart productive dinnertime conversations that build trust and understanding, which are such important precursors to more difficult conversations. Linda already has a tweak or two in mind for next year’s Family Game Nights, so they just keep getting better! Many thanks to her and all our Family Game Night volunteers.
Lunchtime Legends completed a second year, also benefitting from Linda’s creative and steady direction. WHEN volunteers visit middle school lunch rooms with games and crafts, and students can join their table to chat while they participate. Both volunteers and students have enjoyed it immensely. Students always want to know when WHEN will be back. We hope to increase the frequency of our visits next school year, if we can rustle up enough volunteers, so please keep it in mind when you see our sign up sheets come out in the fall!
Hooked on Screens: When Gaming and Social Media Go Too Far
“Protective factors are conditions or attributes in individuals, families, and communities that promote the health and well-being of children and families.” - ChildWelfare.gov
By WHEN member, Dana Buccieri, MEd
Yes, they are EVERYWHERE!
As a society, we may be tempted to throw up our hands because screen time has infiltrated our global world as nothing really has since the invention of the television, our original screen. However, screen time on our televisions began with limited and timely viewings; we eased into a lifestyle that included this leisurely and delightful device and we watched it together in our “family” rooms.
Now we are individually connected with multiple digital devices. Gaming and social media have become a global phenomena. In 2024, the number of active social media users worldwide surpassed 5 billion and is projected to reach over 6 billion by 2028. For context, our world population is estimated to be around 8 billion. (Source: Social Media Algorithms and Teen Addiction: Neurophysiological Impact and Ethical Considerations, Cureus: Publishing Beyond Open Access, A. Muacevic & J.R. Adler, January 8, 2025.) According to the Entertainment Software Association, at least one person plays video games in two out of three American households.
How can gaming and social media use become an addiction?
Addictions are defined as a person’s inability to control the use of something or a way in which we behave, despite the negative consequences. To understand the physical reason for the addiction, one has to understand that the brain releases dopamine in response to a pleasurable experience. When we experience hyperarousal while gaming, scrolling or by being on various platforms, the brain then associates the activity with dopamine and we develop a strong drive to seek out the pleasure again and again.
Excessive screen time often affects a person’s physical, mental and social well-being and has been linked to:
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Obesity
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Poor sleep or insomnia
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Behavioral problems, including impulsive actions
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Loss of social skills
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Violence
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Eye strain
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Neck and back problems
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Anxiety
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Depression
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Difficulties with work or school.
Exposure to intense stimulation can lead to the brain being revved up in a constant state of hyperarousal. Similar to nicotine, alcohol, and drugs, screen time can become addictive, damaging your health, your relationships, and your ability to control the time spent on your devices. (Source: Are video games, screens another addiction?, Mayo Clinic Health System, E. Luker, LPC, July 1, 2022.)
What is concerning about children and adolescent use is that the brain is not yet fully developed and continued excessive use of screens can result in changes in the brain that require extensive behavioral or medical treatment to reverse.
Click image to expand. Different parts of the brain affected due to social media addiction (Source: Social Media Algorithms and Teen Addiction: Neurophysiological Impact and Ethical Considerations, Cureus: Publishing Beyond Open Access, A. Muacevic & J.R. Adler, January 8, 2025.)
How can we prioritize well-being over habits and financial profits? Here is what the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests:
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Model healthy use of screens and video games and other methods of relaxation and entertainment, such as taking a walk, playing a game or reading a book.
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Encourage a balance of screen time and activities that require in-person social interactions.
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Create structured screen-free times, such as during mealtimes, in the mornings, before bedtime.
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Keep screens out of bedrooms. Require that devices are charged outside of bedrooms at night.
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Consider using apps that control the length of the time your child can use a device.
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Learn about the game rating categories and only allow children to play video games suitable for their ages.
Some children can self-regulate their screen time, but some become more noticeably anxious and are quicker to lose their temper when spending a lot of time on screens, or you may notice this when trying to force them to stop playing or using.
Try to apply the same rules to your child’s real environment and virtual environments. Play with your child in both, know their friends in both, and what your child does with others in these environments.
If you are concerned about your child’s use of screen time, consider consulting your pediatrician or a behavioral specialist to help support you and your efforts for a healthier lifestyle.
Spotlight
We'd like to thank Webster Town Supervisor Scialdone for being so open to hearing about our mission and for his commitment to keeping Webster a safe place for kids to grow and thrive. The partnership of the Town of Webster is critical to our mission and we are so grateful to rely on its cooperation for important events like the biannual Drug Take Back.
Upcoming Meetings
Our next meeting is Wednesday, April 1 at noon. Register here to receive details for both in-person and online options.
We meet in person AND online via Google Meet the second Wednesday of each month at noon. Many of us join during our lunch break. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to participate. In fact, our goal is to have representation from all walks of life, to better meet the needs of the whole community.
Read last month's Coalition Meeting Minutes.
Quick Resources
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Check out Common Sense Media for game reviews.
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YoungMinds provides advice on managing gaming habits and mental health.
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The Kids Mental Health Foundation focuses on technology and social media impact.
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Alberta Health Services offers toolkits for managing excessive gaming.