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The newest social scene doesnt include booze
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Well+Good, a website that shares health and wellness related news and tips, recently reported on a new social scene that may provide health benefits for everyone. - photo by Herb Scribner
Americas social scene may have sobered up.

Well+Good, a website that shares health and wellness related news and tips, recently reported on a new social scene that may provide health benefits for everyone the social sober scene, one without spirits, wine and beer.

Drinking wine, spirits and the like has been at the center of social occasions since the Greeks and Romans, Well+Good explained. Even on todays healthy living scene, beer yoga, workouts-and-wine, and mindful cocktail nights foster engagement in what many love to call healthy moderation."

But in a number of wellness circles, people are calling time on casual drinking, simply because it makes them feel like, well, crap, the website continued. Or because the 12-step model of addiction isnt really a fit for these abstainers who are looking to lead a high vibe life without substances. Which is why a new crop of sober social events and venues have emerged in cities across the country and the pond."

As Well+Good reported, this new movement away from alcohol is mainly because of health reasons. Those who spoke to Well+Good said that alcohol made them feel sick, or they didnt feel comfortable including alcohol in every social scenario they encountered.

Its been a struggle, though, for those who choose to give up wine and beer completely, often telling their mentors that theyve lost a sense of identity because they no longer sip spirits, Well+Good explained.

The most common concern that I see with my clients when theyre ready to give up alcohol is the fear of a loss of connection, life mentor Jennifer Kass told Well+Good.

But the movement to sober up may be growing. As Nick Anderson wrote for Deseret News back in April, studies have found that millennials are actually drinking less alcohol, with some giving it up entirely. In fact, a Heineken survey found that more than 75 percent of young people moderate how much they drink. Millennials in the survey said they exercise caution when drinking because they want to live a more positive lifestyle.

"Millennials have grown up in a period of rapid technological change, globalization and economic disruption, Goal Auzeen Saedi, psychologist and millennial behaviour expert, said in the press release from Heineken. The result is their outlook on life is sharply different to previous generations. They are dedicated to positive lifestyles. Drinking in moderation is one aspect of this, taking matters into their own hands, making positive lifestyle choices and attempting to make the best of every opportunity that is thrown at them."

This movement may also move toward mainstream pop culture, too.

Theres an emerging movement of literally scores of women and men showing the world that sober is the new cool, said Dawn Nickel, co-founder of She Recovers, an addiction support center. Media stories about celebrities living sober lifestyles, organizations like Faces and Voices of Recovery, and large-scale events like the Concert to Face Addiction in D.C. last October with performances by Steven Tyler and Sheryl Crowe, to name just a few have definitely helped change peoples minds.

Indeed, some sober bars, like The Other Side, which is run by the nonprofit New Directors Addiction Recovery Services, already exist where those who want to live a sober lifestyle can kick back with a non-alcoholic drink. As The Huffington Post reported, sober bars gives people a place to have fun without the booze.

Its the exact same concept as your local neighborhood bar except without alcohol, Chris Reed, president of NDARS and a former addict himself, told The Huffington Post.

Reed also said to HuffPost that its important that people who want to avoid alcohol also find a community that encourages sober lifestyles.

I recommend that people in early recovery find new activities and new people not centered on substance use join a sports league, get involved in a faith community, do volunteer work, whatever, he told HuffPost. This dry bar could meet the need for some people in recovery.
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How to avoid 'sharenting' and other paparazzi parenting habits
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A recent study revealed parents often spend up to two hours staging a single photo of his or her child to post online. - photo by Amy Iverson
Before having kids, some people just dont appreciate their friends baby posts. But after having a child of their own, three fourths of new parents jump right on the parental social media bandwagon. If you have become a member of this group, there are some rules to follow for posting responsibly.

Much of a parents worry is how to teach their children to use social media responsibly. We talk with our kids about privacy, oversharing, and setting restrictions on their devices to keep them safe. But parents themselves need to look in the digital mirror once in a while. Before having children, it doesnt take as much effort to think about what to post online. Its up to us to decide what we share about our own lives. But once you become a parent, there are many questions to think about regarding what is appropriate to post about your kids on social media.

In a recent survey, kids clothing subscription company Mac and Mia surveyed 2000 new parents to find out how they are documenting their kids lives on social media, and what concerns they may have.

First of all, people without children seem to feel a bit differently about the onslaught of baby pictures online than those who are parents. 18 percent of people say before they had kids, they were annoyed by their friends baby posts. But after having children of their own, 73 percent admit they post progress pictures of their little ones every single month.

Not only are new parents letting the world know each time their baby is a month older, but they are posting about their kids every few days or so. Men and women report they post 6-7 times per month about their baby.

And while 70 percent of new parents say the benefit of using social media is how easy it is to help family and friends feel involved, there are some downsides. Here are a few tips to avoid the pitfall of becoming paparazzi parents.

Dont miss the moment

In the Mac and Mia survey, some parents admitted to spending up to two hours to get the perfect shot of their baby. That seems a little extreme. New and old parents alike should be careful about spending so much time taking pictures and videos that they dont enjoy the moment. Years ago, I decided to never live an experience through my phone. A study by Linda Henkel, a psychology professor at Fairfield University in Connecticut, found that when people took pictures of objects in an art museum, they didnt remember the objects as well as if they simply observed them.

This photo-taking impairment effect can happen to parents as well. If we are so consumed by getting the perfect photo, we can miss out on the moment all together, and our memory of it will suffer.

Dont forget about privacy

60 percent of couples say they have discussed rules and boundaries for posting their babys photos, according to the Mac and Mia survey. Even so, men are 34 percent more likely to publish baby posts on public accounts. If parents are concerned about their childrens privacy, keeping photos off of public accounts is a given.

In the Washington Post, Stacey Steinberg, a legal skills professor at the University of Florida, and Bahareh Keith, a Portland pediatrician, wrote that sharing too much information about kids online puts them at risk. They write that all that sharenting can make it easier for data thieves to target out kids for identity theft. Check that your privacy settings are where they should be and never share identifying information like full names and birth dates.

Dont be paparazzi parents

36 percent of parents say they take issue when their childs photo is posted online by someone else. Responsible social media users will always ask permission before posting a photo of another child. But parents should also think about whether their own children will take issue with their own posted photos a few years down the road.

When parents are constantly snapping pictures and throwing them on social media, it can be easy to forget to pause and make sure the post is appropriate. I always use the billboard example with my kids. I ask them to picture whatever they are posting going up on a billboard in our neighborhood. If they are okay with that, then their post is probably fine. Parents should ask themselves this same question when posting about their children. But they should also ask themselves if their child would be OK with this post on a billboard in 15 years. If it would cause embarrassment or humiliation, it might be best to keep it private.

Once children reach an appropriate age, parents should include them in the process of deciding what pictures are OK to post. Researchers at the University of Michigan surveyed 10- to 17-year-olds and found children believe their parents should ask permission more than parents think they should. The kids in the survey said sharing happy family moments, or accomplishments in sports, school and hobbies is fine. But when the post is negative (like when a child is disciplined) or embarrassing (think naked baby pictures or messy hair), kids say to keep it off social media.
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