Righetti High School’s Latino Unidos Club (LUC) will host a conference to stress the value of face-to-face communication skills in a world that has become dominated by technology and social media.

More than 120 students and 30 parents from Righetti, Santa Maria, Pioneer Valley and Delta high schools are expected to participate in the event from 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. inside the ERHS cafeteria March 19. 

The conference features guest speakers and workshops designed to encourage students to reconsider the amount of time they spend on electronic devices and instead use that time to communicate face-to-face with friends and family, according to Spanish Teacher Patricia Villalobos.

LUC President Estela Navarro, hopes the information allows students and parents to “break away” from technology so they can connect with each other in the “real world” rather than the  “virtual world.”

“Our generation is the most highly technologically advanced generation ever, and we’re still progressing,’’ Navarro said. “Teens now excessively communicate through social media and text, causing the majority of us to lose our traditional form of socialization.’’ 

Organizers hope the conference will help motivate and empower today’s youth to network and make connections while encouraging them to pursue higher education.

— Kenny Klein is the public information officer for the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District.