Several years ago Delaney Ruston, a doctor who specializes in internal medicine, started to notice that most of the kids coming into her office were glued to a screen.
“They were checked out. And that started me thinking about all of those little moments of interactions of adults with kids that their emotional and mental and educational self are not present,” said Ruston.
At home, Ruston was struggling with where to set boundaries on screen time with her 14-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter. Knowing that other parents were dealing with the same situation, Ruston decided to explore these issues on film in her documentary, "Screenagers."
The film, part of which was shot at Seattle’s Roosevelt High School, explores the consequences of those lost moments of human interaction when heads are bowed down to a screen. It delves into the dark side of video games and looks at the emotional fallout that can happen when middle schoolers sext.
Researchers and psychologists were interviewed for the film. Ruston said that at least one study shows that a lot of time on devices can reduce a young person’s capacity for empathy. Ruston urges parents not demonize technology. She believes we should talk about the positives of technology and keep the conversation going about how we behave in our digital worlds.
“For example,” said Ruston, “my family and I will talk about, ‘what do you think it feels like to be that person when they aren’t invited and they see that photo? How does it feel for you?’ That’s one of the ways we’re going to help kids develop empathy when they are in this setting where they’re not having as much face-to-face communication with people.”
'Screenagers' is not getting a formal theatrical release. Ruston wants community groups and schools to organize their own events where people can come and see the film and then talk about it afterwards.
“We’re at a whole new level of parenting and I think that for me is what the film is all about,” Ruston explained. “It’s really a wake-up call that never in our history is there something that requires us to talk on the frequent basis with our kids about than on the impact of technology on us.”
So far there have been more than 300 viewing events for 'Screenagers' across the country, including several here in the Northwest.
