On Thursday evening, the Parent Education Committee hosted a screening of the film Screenagers. After the movie, parents and students broke into small groups to discuss the impact of the digital age and screen time on our children, as well as how to help minimize harmful effects and find balance.
“I really appreciated the opportunity to watch this movie with my daughter and as part of our community. What I think was most valuable was for her to realize some of the reasons why limits are so important and that we aren’t the only family setting limits,” said MICDS parent Terese Friel Portell.
Similarly, MICDS parent Nela Navarrine said, “It was nice to go to school as a family to learn and talk about this topic. It gave us the opportunity to talk later about some difficulties that screen time and video games bring to our kids’ lives.”
Thank you to those who took the time to attend our viewing and discussion. As follow up for both those who attended as well as those who could not join us, we wanted to share additional resources to use in continuing the conversations with your own children and with other parents. Please see the linked Parent Guide from Screenagers with specific tips and resources that may be helpful to parents of students of all ages.
Screenagers: https://www.screenagersmovie.com/ – Please visit the Screenagers site and find resources, research, and other helpful information to foster conversation and ensure appropriate boundaries and limits for our kids and families.
Tech Talk Tuesdays: https://www.screenagersmovie.com/tech-talk-tuesdays/ – Subscribe to filmmaker Dr. Ruston’s Tech Talk Tuesdays to receive conversation starters about social media, video game use, tech tips, latest research and more.
Wait Until 8th: https://www.waituntil8th.org/ – The Wait Until 8th pledge empowers parents to rally together to delay giving children a smartphone until at least 8th grade. By banding together, this will decrease the pressure felt by kids and parents alike over the kids having a smartphone.
Common Sense Media: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/ – A guide to children’s health and wellness in the digital age full of resources and information to help parents and educators make informed decisions for children.
Washington Post Article on parents and social media.
Thank you to the Parent Association Parent Education Committee for planning this informative event and to our MICDS Student Support Services team for their organizational support.