Interesting zoomer conversations from being a teacher today, the concept of “joy” school, and learning that this is the start of lychee fruit season, and happy in-person conversations took place before President Susan started our meeting.
Tom Strode played a rousing Star-Spangled Banner for us on his trusty piano, and Judy Lynch Sauer inspired with:
“Today we will hear the outcomes of Dr. Dar Meshi’s investigations into how our brains process socially communicated information. In particular he is interested in how information conveyed through social media motivates us and influences our behavior.
Digital experts have been studying behavioral impact of social media in an effort to provide training to organizations to alleviate negative outcomes. Here are some examples of negative behavioral outcomes:
1. People are adopting different personas to fit into the circles they are in. Social media often puts undue pressure on individuals which is taking a toll on their mental health.
2. Validation is becoming transactional – this means that likes, shares, and comments on social media mean more to some people than hearing validation in person.
3. People have become more self-obsessed and narcissistic. It has made them more lazy and violent, portraying a behavior influenced by low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, mental health issues and trust issues.
4. Social media is like a drug. It has given us the power (without responsibility) to take our thoughts to the wider world. It’s one of the most addictive things known to man!
Fortunately, Rotarians have the 4-Way Test to use as a guide for personal and professional relationships, whether online or in person. What is your answer to the questions:
Is it the TRUTH?
Is it FAIR to all concerned?
Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?”
Immediate Past President Joanne Pierson channeled her best camp counselor call-and-response song with original lyrics to honor RI President Jennifer Jones.
President Susan welcomed members and guests, including Marlene Stoeffler, and thanked the meeting coordinator team: Emily Olson, Sara Maddock and Leo Shedden, Mary Steffek Blaske, Fred Beutler, and Dawn Johnson. She let all members know that YOU can help by serving as one of the meeting coordinators – check with Dawn Johnson. Birthday greetings were given.
Past President Rosemarie Rowney came to the podium to give a special Emeritus Status presentation to Victor Stoeffler.
Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Vic was brought up with a brother and two sisters in a giving, religious home. His parents were not wealthy, but generous. He says that his upbringing easily translates to the Rotary motto of Service Above Self. After completing his elementary education in a Lutheran Parochial School and graduating from Grand Rapids Central High School, Vic was accepted at the University of Michigan.
Once at the U of M, the Good Times began. Victor followed his brother, also a UM graduate, to the university. In his Sophomore year, he was asked to join Sigma Alpha Epsilon. He has remained good friends with several of his fraternity brothers for the last 65 years.
Banana Cream Pie Incident: Victor and George, one of his best friends at Sigma Alpha Epsilon, looked into the window of the kitchen of the fraternity one night and there were a couple of banana cream pies with gooey meringue. They raised the window, took a pie and sat on the steps of 1st Presbyterian Church which was next door to the fraternity (and where Victor is now a member), ate it with their fingers and threw the aluminum pie tin into the bushes. George remained one of Victor’s best friends until his recent death.
Picture at Ashley’s: Vic worked at Slater’s Book Store during the busy time at the beginning of the semester. There was a restaurant next door to Slater’s named the Parrot where students used to hang out. Today that Restaurant is named Ashley’s and is owned by fellow Rotarian, Roy More. At a recent Rotary event at Ashleys, Roy showed Vic a painting of the Parrot Restaurant hanging on the wall and that brought back 65 year old memories of his student days at UM.
Career Choice: But Vic’s time as a student wasn’t all about the fraternity, banana cream pies and hanging out at the Parrot. In his Junior year, he still did not know the direction of his studies or career until he met a beloved professor (Bill Morse) in a class about the mental health of children. Vic was hooked and realized that somewhere, somehow, he wanted to do something in the field of mental health. Before long, he was enrolled in the curriculum for education of emotionally disturbed children and worked summers as a counselor at The Fresh Air Camp.
The University of Michigan Fresh Air Camp was a training program for students in special education, social work and psychology. It was a baptism by fire and water during nine weeks in the summer for students headed for a career in one of the areas of mental health for kids and families. It was an immersion in caring for kids who were sometimes mean, profane, often testing the limits of staff tolerance and endurance. After four summers working Fresh Air Camp, a degree in Special Education, a Master’s degree in Social Work and Victor was launched into a career that included residential treatment, clinical social work and finally many years as a psychotherapist.
Career: Victor worked at Children’s Psych Hospital, then at NIH Residential Treatment then on to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, Washington DC (USPHS). From there he went for two years to Staten Island in a general medical hospital, and back to Ann Arbor UM Hospital as Asst. Director of Social Work. He taught and advised students at the School of Public Health – Maternal Child Health for seven years. He maintained a half-time private practice in Ann Arbor. In Detroit he embarked on a 7-year training program to be an individual and group psychotherapist, and worked there half-time for 15 years – commuting back and forth on I-94!.
His practice included a partner for 30 years and then solo another for 10 years. He finally retired as a psychotherapist at age 75. As a social worker, public health faculty member, and a psychotherapist Victor has led several organizations: President, Michigan Social Work Council, President, Michigan Society of Group Psychotherapy. As an author or co-author he has published a dozen articles in social work journals, public health magazines and psychotherapy journals.
Community Service that Victor is all about:
1. Rotary: Joined the Rotary Club of Ann Arbor, February 14, 2001. Lois Jelneck was his Sponsor. Vic characterizes his work in the Club as “Not an Organizer but a Worker Bee.” He has served for many years on the Community Allocations Committee, as a Rotary Reader reading to 4-year-olds at Head Start, a Golf and Tennis Outing Volunteer, a waster warrior on I-94, and for three years as a volunteer as part of a Rotary District Grant for Foster Care Closet.
2. House by the Side of the Road Every Monday 9-12
3. Karla Fund: Vic’s family started the Karla Fund in memory of his sister, Karla, who died at a young age. Its purpose was to promote children’s literacy, a cause that Karla espoused during her lifetime. Packets of books, a baby bib and why it was essential to read to newborns were distributed to new parents at St. Joe’s Hospital. The Karla Fund began with the Baby Book Club and the Family Book Club which eventually became the Children’s Literacy Network.
Family/Personal Interests: Victor met Marlene, his wonderful wife of 61 years, in Washington DC. They have a son, Scott and daughter, Lisa and two grandsons.
Stylish all his life: Rosemarie noted that a characteristic she has always noticed about Vic, in addition to his lifelong commitment to helping others, is his strong sense of fashion and sartorial style. Vic was a life-long runner until he broke his ankle. After that break, he exercised in every other way he could to maintain his exercise routine. Singing all his life – first at the youth choir at Church, then at the fraternity for coeds who were pinned and mothers who visited, for 25 years at Zion Lutheran Church and another 20 years at 1st Presbyterian Church.
There was a hearty round of applause and standing ovation for Victor – and a freshly made banana creme pie!
Victor invited all members to take their seats and thanked everyone for their response to a generous ceremony. He shared advice that he often said to his patients: love where you live and love where you do.
Lauren Heinonen came to the podium to invite all members and their families to the June 12th Playground Celebration at Gallup Park — Music at the Playground –1-4 p.m. Los Gatos and Community High Jazz will perform. Free, extra parking at Huron HS, and free rides from Boober bikes to/from parking to park. Ice cream! Wear your Rotary shirt.
Pierson came back to the podium to present the 2022-23 budget.
Dues for club operations go to RI Dues and Admin, weekly hybrid meetings, local administration, financial service, District dues, technology, and conference/training. Dues have not increased since 2016. This year dues for those 40-years-old and older will be raised and dues for those under 40 will be reduced. This strategic move is to help remove a financial barrier for potential young members.
Dennis Powers introduced speaker Assistant Professor Dar Meshi, from Michigan State University’s College of Communication Arts & Sciences.
“Why We Use Social Media: Evolution, Neuroscience, and Problematic Use”
“You are a VALUE Maximizer.” That means that our brains have evolved to help us survive by making value-based decisions every day to try to maximize reward and minimize punishment. By describing a 1960 experiment with a rat pressing a lever about 25 times/hour, Meshi described that by implanting an electrode to a specific portion of the brain, that rat would press the lever over 80,000 times in a day – with no desire to eat, sleep or care for its babies. Meshi said that this looks like an addiction because the electrode in that area of the brain triggers the brain’s “reward” system. “Rewards” can be food, water, money, sex and having a social circle who likes you, agrees with you, understands you, and gives you the attention while you talk about yourself. Social rewards are primary rewards like food.
Meshi talked about the “need to belong” theory – that theory that states that there are benefits to belonging to a group to make it easier to find food, to share resources, for safety, and an easier time to find a mate.
In the 1990s, social media begins with facebook, linked in, instagram, twitter, tiktok. By 2017 there were 2.66 billion users of social media. By 2022 there are 3.96 billion social media users. As a point of reference, there are 7.8 billion people on Planet Earth, so 1 out of every 2 people on the planet are on social media.
Problematic Social Media Use
Social media abuse can be compared to alcohol abuse because each displays similar symptoms: salience (preoccupation), mood modification, tolerance (need more and more to get the same good feeling), conflict, withdrawal symptoms, and relapse. Negative effects and associations with problematic social media use include sleep problems, academic problems, employment problems, interpersonal problems (many divorces), and car accidents (smart phones).
Meshi made the connection that there is similar neuroscience with cocaine use, alcohol use, and excessive social media use. The brain regions are involved in value reception in decision making. Substance-dependent individuals display aberrant decision-making which is seen in excessive social media use.
Ways to Reduce Social Media Overuse:
1. Understand WHY you are on social media.
2. Control your notifications on your device (Apple and droids have a feature to do so).
3. Control screen time with an app – or delete apps.
4. Use social norms to your advantage (don’t use your phone during dinner!)
President Susan thanked Professor Meshi for a stimulating talk. Professor Meshi stayed on the zoom call to answer questions.
Next week our speaker will be Anna Byberg, President of Dawn Farm, giving us an Update on Dawn Farm and Substance Abuse in Our Area.
President Susan closed our meeting with the quote of the day, “Quality means doing it right when no one is looking, ” from Henry Ford, and rang the bell wishing us all to have a good week.
Respectfully submitted,
Mary Steffek Blaske
Cub Reporter
Photography by Fred Beutler
