Baroness makes her audience think during visit to Motherwell

Baroness Susan Greenfield flanked by (l-r) Dr Keir Bloomer from Tapestry, Our Ladys High headb teacher Dan Cardle, Educational Institute of Scotland general secretary Larry Flanagan, Scottish Attainment Challenge  Secondary Lead for North Lanarkshire Dominic Kennedy, and Emeritus Professor Nigel Osborne from Tapestry

The event, which was called Technology, Brain Development & the Child, took place at Our Lady’s High.

It was organised as part of the Scottish Attainment Challenge, and saw staff from enterprise and communities, community learning and development and Police Scotland also in attendance.

Baroness Greenfield’s masterclass focused on a range of themes including the impact of environment on the development of the child brain, and the development, and increasing use, of technology (including social media) on mental health.

She said: “The 21st Century is delivering a vast range of new digital technologies that are transforming our environment in unprecedented ways. It follows that the human brain, and thus our minds, could also be undergoing unprecedented changes.

“The rapid increase in technology in our daily lives is particularly noticeable in children and young people; the constant use of social media is often a leading factor in many mental health issues.”

The masterclass was provided by the Tapestry Partnership in Glasgow as a companion piece to the Building Stronger Communities in Motherwell project.

Dominic Kennedy, Scottish Attainment Challenge – Secondary Lead, said: “This was fantastic event was really inspiring and provided everyone who attended with so much to think about.

“The masterclass represented a valuable opportunity for colleagues who work with and support young people and families in North Lanarkshire to learn more about this important area.”