Are your teens glued to screens or stuck mindlessly scrolling? Have you noticed that time spent on social media is taking a toll on their well-being? On August 16th from 6-8 PM at the Spruce Pine Fire Department, join Partners Aligned Toward Health (PATH) and the Mitchell Yancey Prevention and Recovery Coalition (MYPRC) for a free screening of Screenagers Next Chapter: Uncovering Skills for Stress Resilience.
All teens, parents, caregivers, and community members are welcome to join PATH for this free film screening at the Spruce Pine Fire Department (100 Firefighter Way, Spruce Pine). The evening will begin with a one-hour screening of Screenagers Next Chapter, accompanied by complimentary popcorn and refreshments. Then PATH will lead a short discussion about teen mental health and how we can support resilience skills in teens.
Research shows that more than two hours a day on social media correlates with a higher chance of experiencing unhappy feelings, but most teens say their main way of coping with difficult feelings or stress is to turn to a screen, even if it makes them feel worse. When teens suppress emotions, research shows it negatively impacts their school work and other cognitive tasks, but strategies like mindfulness, exposure therapy, and behavior change are being used to successfully treat anxiety and depression in many teens.
In Screenagers Next Chapter, filmmaker, physician, and mother Dr. Delaney examines the science behind teens’ emotional challenges, the interplay of social media, and how to help teens build crucial skills to navigate stress, anxiety, and depression in our digital age. After finding herself at a loss on how to help her own teens as they struggled with their emotional well-being, she set out to understand these challenges and how we, as parents and educators, can empower teens to overcome mental health challenges and build emotional agility, communication savvy, and stress resilience.
This is the follow-up to Delany Ruston’s award-winning 2016 film—Screenagers: Growing up in the Digital Age—which was the first feature documentary to explore the impact of screen technology on kids and offer parents and families proven solutions. Screened to 4 million, Screenagers has been featured on PBS NewsHour, the Today Show, Good Morning America, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and more.
Members of the Mitchell Yancey Prevention and Recovery Coalition will also be there to talk about the coalition’s work and share local resources.
To learn more about Partners Aligned Toward Health or the Mitchell Yancey Prevention and Recovery Coalition, contact PATH staff at (828) 682-7899, info@pathwnc.org, or visit www.pathwnc.org.
