HHS Hosts Screenagers Film Showing on Wednesday
A free screening of the independent documentary film Screenagers will be held on Wednesday (May 4) at 5:30 p.m. in the Huntington High School auditorium.
The film explores issues surrounding “growing up in the digital age.” Principal Brenden Cusack said the movie “provides an interesting look at school-aged kids and the implications of their connections with electronic devices.”
Students who attend the screening can obtain two hours of community service from Mr. Cusack and an additional hour (three hours total) if they bring along a parent, guardian or other adult family member. “It’s that important that kids and their parents see the film together,” Mr. Cusack said. “It can spark genuine dialogue between parents and kids in an effort to develop a healthy balance in the age of technology.”
Mr. Cusack worked with film distribution company Indie Flix and the Huntington High School Parent-Teacher-Student Association, which provided funding to help bring the film to the high school. “The film is perfect for high schoolers to view with their parents,” Mr. Cusack said.
Huntington High School English teacher Bonnie Guarino brought the idea of showing the film to Mr. Cusack. “I believe it is appropriate for kids of a variety of ages,” Mr. Cusack said. “The intent is to reach as many parents and students as possible. The film is very well done and it’s just over an hour long. It will be followed by a brief discussion.”
Besides the high school community, parents and students in grades 5-9 from across the district as well as anyone else in the school or local community are invited to attend the screening. Plenty of seating is available in the auditorium.
The film includes “poignant, and unexpectedly funny stories, along with surprising insights from authors, psychologists, and brain scientists,” to drive home the point that “tech time impacts kids’ development.” Possible solutions are presented to help “adults empower kids to best navigate the digital world and find balance.”
A synopsis of the film from its promotional website asks: “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.”
Visit www.screenagersmovie.com for more information about the film.