First Fed Community Conversation: Documentary “Screenagers” in partnership with Port Angeles Healthy Youth Coalition

Tuesday, June 18th @ Field Hall: First Fed Community Conversation: Documentary “Screenagers” in partnership with Port Angeles Healthy Youth Coalition
FREE EVENT – Please click here to RSVP

Field Arts & Events Hall is excited to host a screening of the documentary SCREENAGERS and post-show First Fed Community Conversation surrounding the effects of screen time on kids. This event is presented in partnership with Port Angeles Heathy Youth Coalition with support from the Washington State Health Care Association and Prevention Works!

The Field Hall lower Pat Donlin Lobby and upstairs Sunset Lounge will open at 4:30PM on Tuesday, June 18th for a pre-show community showcase with our presenting partners. SCREENAGERS screening begins at 5:30PM in the Donna M. Morris Theater. Stay for a post-screening discussion in the theater. This event is free – please RSVP.

Are you watching kids scroll through life, with their rapid-fire thumbs and a six-second attention span? Physician and filmmaker Delaney Ruston saw that with her own kids and learned that the average kid spends 6.5 hours a day looking at screens. She wondered about the impact of all this time and about the friction occurring in homes and schools around negotiating screen time—friction she knew all too well.

In SCREENAGERS, as with her award-winning documentaries on mental health, Delaney takes a deeply personal approach as she probes into the vulnerable corners of family life, including her own, to explore struggles over social media, video games, academics and internet addiction. Through poignant, and unexpectedly funny stories, along with surprising insights from authors, psychologists, and brain scientists, SCREENAGERS reveals how tech time impacts kids’ development and offers solutions on how adults can empower kids to best navigate the digital world and find balance.

Physician and filmmaker, Delaney Ruston decided to make SCREENAGERS when she found herself constantly struggling with her two kids about screen time. Ruston felt guilty and confused, not sure what limits were best, especially around mobile phones, social media, gaming, and how to monitor online homework. Hearing repeatedly how other parents were equally overwhelmed, she realized this is one of the biggest, unexplored parenting issues of our time.

As a director, Ruston turned the camera on her own family and others—revealing stories of messy struggles over social media, video games, academics and internet addiction.  We meet Hannah, a 14-year old victim of social media bullying who struggled trying to hide her social media use from her mom. And Andrew, whose love of video games turned into an addiction taking him from earning straight A’s to flunking out of college.

Interwoven into these stories, are cutting edge science and insights from thought leaders Peggy Orenstein, Sherry Turkle, Simon Sinek, as well as leading brain scientists who present evidence on the real changes in the brain when kids are on screens. SCREENAGERS goes far beyond exposing the risks of screen time, it reveals multiple approaches on how parents and educators can work with kids to help them achieve a healthy amount of screen time.

Parents are encouraged to bring their kids to the movie. Learn more at www.screenagersmovie.com.