Introducing yourself to others is normal. Speaking infront of a group is not. Both can bring out social anxiety but public speaking is different than socializing with a small group.
Generally speaking, socialization is like a muscle. You have to use it to build it. Which is why we have schools introduce people to social settings in controlled settings and with incrementally more difficulty.
“Nobody should ever have to interact with more than a handful of other people at a time” is a recipe for building a population of socially anxious people.
When you cloister kids at a young age, then introduce them to a big school full of more advanced students, you’re throwing them into the deep end of the pool late in the game. But just insisting “they’re 11 years old! they’ll never be social! lost cause!” is infinitely more cruel than weening them into society as best as your system can.
Speaking a few sentences in front a classroom sized group is pretty normal and kids should be exposed to it. Uncomfortable experiences are a part of growing up.
Of course. But as the first thing overall with no prior training about it at all? No coaching about examples on what to say, no advice about your choices before the real thing? No after-the-fact reflection about what was good, what was bad, what could be worked on?
So as soon as you learn to talk, you can handle every social situation adequately? That’s news to me.
You may not understand this particular issue, because you never had trouble introducing yourself publicly. But you probably struggled at something else, and don’t you think training would have (or did) help you there? So obviously it would also help people, who do exist, that struggle with public introductions of themselves.
So as soon as you learn to talk, you can handle every social situation adequately? That’s news to me.
No, they didn’t say that, they said that knowing how to talk is the only prerequisite. The rest comes only with practice, the sooner the better. Anxiety’s a bitch, I get it, but you make it manageable by desensitizing yourself to those situations (preferably starting with the low risk ones like introductions), not avoiding them.
Edit: I mean the context is school, it literally is the training
its a few sentences about yourself you dont need coaching. People should have done this countless times before getting to Anon’s age. If he still needs coaching at his age he probably has a learning disorder and I dont mean that in a rude way.
How do you know how old anon is? And anyway, we’re not talking about anon here, we’re talking about kids that do this for the first time. I did this the first time I switched schools to middle school, where my lack of skill definitely impacted me for the rest of it, and maybe 2 or 3 times after that. It’s not something you necessarily do countless times.
Both are very important. Not being able to speak in front of a group can change the trajectory of your entire life. Children especially should have as many paths open as possible for when they’re ready to decide which one to take.
Introducing yourself to others is normal. Speaking infront of a group is not. Both can bring out social anxiety but public speaking is different than socializing with a small group.
Generally speaking, socialization is like a muscle. You have to use it to build it. Which is why we have schools introduce people to social settings in controlled settings and with incrementally more difficulty.
“Nobody should ever have to interact with more than a handful of other people at a time” is a recipe for building a population of socially anxious people.
When you cloister kids at a young age, then introduce them to a big school full of more advanced students, you’re throwing them into the deep end of the pool late in the game. But just insisting “they’re 11 years old! they’ll never be social! lost cause!” is infinitely more cruel than weening them into society as best as your system can.
Speaking a few sentences in front a classroom sized group is pretty normal and kids should be exposed to it. Uncomfortable experiences are a part of growing up.
Of course. But as the first thing overall with no prior training about it at all? No coaching about examples on what to say, no advice about your choices before the real thing? No after-the-fact reflection about what was good, what was bad, what could be worked on?
What training should they need?
I’d say learning to talk is all they really need. The rest is experience.
So as soon as you learn to talk, you can handle every social situation adequately? That’s news to me.
You may not understand this particular issue, because you never had trouble introducing yourself publicly. But you probably struggled at something else, and don’t you think training would have (or did) help you there? So obviously it would also help people, who do exist, that struggle with public introductions of themselves.
No, they didn’t say that, they said that knowing how to talk is the only prerequisite. The rest comes only with practice, the sooner the better. Anxiety’s a bitch, I get it, but you make it manageable by desensitizing yourself to those situations (preferably starting with the low risk ones like introductions), not avoiding them.
Edit: I mean the context is school, it literally is the training
its a few sentences about yourself you dont need coaching. People should have done this countless times before getting to Anon’s age. If he still needs coaching at his age he probably has a learning disorder and I dont mean that in a rude way.
How do you know how old anon is? And anyway, we’re not talking about anon here, we’re talking about kids that do this for the first time. I did this the first time I switched schools to middle school, where my lack of skill definitely impacted me for the rest of it, and maybe 2 or 3 times after that. It’s not something you necessarily do countless times.
Both are very important. Not being able to speak in front of a group can change the trajectory of your entire life. Children especially should have as many paths open as possible for when they’re ready to decide which one to take.