Heart-Mind 2015 In Profile: Alexandra Samuel

Alexandra Samuel is an educator, entrepreneur, blogger and all around social media expert.  Alexandra’s presentation at Heart-Mind 2015, Hacking Parenthood: The three worlds of digital parenting, will provide educational and inspirational insight into fostering human connections in a digital world.

“As human beings we are wired to do a lot of the work of connection in nonverbal ways: through eye contact, body language, and tone of voice,” Alexandra explains, “when we lose that context, social media can feel empty to us – like we aren't really connecting.  So we need to be really conscious of what we are looking for in an online interaction… we need to think about how to supply what is missing in tone of voice with additional words and Emojis [to provide the right meaning and intention].”

Alexandra understands the dichotomy of the online universe and developing human connection. She explains that the Internet is too often positioned as the enemy of human connection. However, that does not have to be the case. There are different rewards that come from actually talking face-to-face and connecting online.  

“Some of my most important relationships have been with people I’ve met online,” Alexandra states, “often because we are struggling with similar challenges – most recently, the communities of special-needs parents who really help with the challenges I face with my son.”

Her presentation will explore the ways in which parents address the challenge of parenting in today’s digital world. Social media is the first important social space that children have had to navigate without the benefit of their parents’ experience.  Parents are usually guiding their kids based on norms that have been handed down for generations.  Therefore, the best thing we can do for kids on social media is to become active ourselves, so we can model appropriate behaviour.

She hopes to provide a roadmap to guide parents and educators who want their children to develop authenticity in their experiences on and offline.  Visit her website alexandrasamuel.com to learn more about her work.

Join us at #HeartMind2015 and receive expert advice from Alexandra Samuel as she bridges the gap between social media and human connection.