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7 | O akville B eaver | T hursday,January 23,2020 insidehalton.com Please email photo and information to Kelli Kosonic: kkosonic@starmetrolandmedia.com Call: 905-234-1018 Attention Parents of all babies born in the year 2019! 2019 Honour Roll The DEADLINE for Booking and Material Submissions is Friday, January 24, 2020 The PUBLICATION date is Thursday, January 30, 2020Thursday, January 30, 2020 Submit a COLOUR PHOTO along with the Baby's Full Name and Date of Birth. The price is $35.00 +hst Please note that payment must be received before the photo can be in the feature. Date of Birth. Please note that payment must be received before the photo can be in the feature. Arbor Memorial Inc. $10,000 National Contest Winner Fill out your ballot today. You could be our next winner! The team at Glen Oaks Funeral Home & Cemetery presents C. Allen from Oakville, Ontario with a cheque for $10,000. "I'm so glad I stopped and filled out the ballot. Thank you Glen Oaks!" ~ C. Allen, 2019 Contest Winner It is undeniable that so- cial media has completely changed the way we inter- act with others. It used to be that we would find out what was go- ing on with our friends and family when we took thefamily when we took thef time to connect person to person, but now we can get updates from many people in a matter of minutes. All the posting, liking, and commenting is pretty cool, but what does it mean for our mental health? We have to keep in mind that social media shows us snapshots of moments in others' lives, moments that they have chosen to share. They are the happy and well-behaved kids, the deli- cious meal made from scratch, the adorable pet curled up for a nap. What can happen is that followers assume that these moments are always there, that there are no times when others are less than perfect. Then, the comparisons start, right? We think, "Wow ... my kids just poured shampoo in the dishwasher, I had Raisin Bran for dinner and my cat shredded my couch to bits. What am I do- ing wrong? What do they know that I don't?" Quite a sucker punch to our mental health. The perceived lack of measuring up can definitely make our wellness take a hit and lead to low self-esteem, stress and anxiety. But, we need to take the time to think about what others aren't posting. If we aren't posting the Raisin Bran din- ner, they likely aren't either. Social media identities can be very different from everyday life, and we need to avoid making assump- tions about others and our- selves based on what we see on what may be careful- ly crafted profiles. Also, we can't mistake social media likes and com- ments for real social con- nection. Having a support system means having peo- ple we can trust and talk to about not just the great mo- ments but also our chal- lenges and struggles. That doesn't mean that we need to be close friends with everyone on our so- cial media, but it does mean that we need to en- sure that we are connect- ing with people on a per- sonal level and talking about more than just what fits into 280 characters. Sure, a phone call or vis- it will take up more time than simply scanning your social media feed, but it is vital time extremely well spent. It's not all about con- venience - it's about real connection. Social media and well- ness don't need to be mutu- ally exclusive. We just need to keep it in perspective and put real life ahead of clicks and shares. Melanie McGregor is the communications and advancement specialist at the Canadian Mental Health Association Halton Region Branch, which provides mental health/ addiction community sup- port and education. Visit www.halton.cmha.ca for more information and follow @cmhahalton on Twitter. SOCIAL MEDIA POSTINGS DON'T TELL THE WHOLE STORY OPINION THERE'S NO SUBSTITUTE FOR GENUNINE HUMAN CONNECTION, WRITES MELANIE MCGREGOR MELANIE MCGREGOR Column LETTERS & COMMENTARY EDUCATION CUTS HURTING OUR STUDENTS As an Ontario high school guidance counsel- lor and Oakville resident, I have seen first-hand the damage caused by the Ford government's recent cuts. As a result of these re- ductions, many classes were cut and students were forced into courses they didn't want. I cannot even begin to imagine how students with learning disabilities will handle completing an on- line course without the as- sistance of a hands-on classroom teacher. Many students drop online courses because they have difficulty completing the material without this guid- ance. The demands of a class- room teacher have greatly increased over the years, yet the Ford government fails to see the stresses placed on the teacher in en- suring that individual stu- dents' needs are met. Anxi- ety disorder, depression, attention deficit disorder and various learning disa- bilities are just some of the issues a classroom teacher has to address on a daily basis. Our students deserve a good solid education as they are the future leaders of this fine community. Wake up Ford, you are hurting the future genera- tion. DAHLIA TESSY OAKVILLE WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU SUBMIT YOUR LETTER TO THE EDITOR TODAY!