CHARLOTTESVILLE — Eastern Hancock Schools and Hancock Health are partnering to bring the film “Sceenagers” to Hancock County, hoping to spark a conversation between parents and kids about the positives and negatives of technology.
The documentary, which will be shown at Eastern Hancock High School later this month in a free, public screening, explores what it’s like to grow up in the digital age.
Filmmaker Dr. Delaney Ruston began study the impact of technology on children’s lives when she became concerned with her own children’s addiction to devices. She soon learned the average kid spends 6.5 hours a day looking at screens at home and at school, according to the film’s website.
Ruston’s film aims to help parents and kids strike a balance between safe use of technology and time away from screens, said Courtney Hott, an Eastern Hancock Schools counselor who spearheaded the local screening of the film.
Hott saw the film last year and was struck by the extent to which technology plays a role in kids’ daily lives. After all, today’s young people don’t know a world without devices at every turn, she said.
She was inspired to bring the film to Hancock County hoping to help the students she works with everyday learn to set their own technology boundaries, she said.
“Screenagers” will be played for free locally thanks to a grant from Hancock Health.
Parents and students are encouraged to come watch the documentary together at 7 p.m. Oct. 18 in the Eastern Hancock Schools auditorium, 10370 E. County Road 250N, Charlottesville.
The film will last about an hour. Afterword a panel of educators, law enforcement officers and mental health experts will hold a panel discussion, during which parents can ask specific questions about tech and their teens.
Space at the screening is limited, so organizers are asking families to RSVP at https://impactflow.com/event/presented-by-eastern-hancock-9156.
“Screenagers” explores the changes in technology in recent decades, the impact it has had on kids’ interactions with family, friends and academics, and the biological implications of screen-use, Hott said. From there, it offers tips for how to better to strike a balance of screen-use and non use in kids’ lives, and encourages discussions between parents and their children to find the proper balance for their families, Hott said.
Any questions about the event can be directed to Hott at [email protected].
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“Screenagers” is a document about the impact technology can have on children.
A free, public screening for local parents and students will take place at 7 p.m. Oct. 18 in the Eastern Hancock Schools auditorium, 10370 E. County Road 250N, Charlottesville.
The film will last about an hour. Afterward, a panel of educators, law enforcement officers and mental health experts will hold a panel discussion.
Space at the screening is limited. Please RSVP at https://impactflow.com/event/presented-by-eastern-hancock-9156.
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