Millions of young people experience high stress, anxiety, and depression. In Screenagers Next Chapter, we follow physician and filmmaker Delaney Ruston as she discovers solutions for improved adolescent stress, anxiety, and depression in the digital age.
Runtimes:
Full Version: 63 Minutes
Classroom Version: 50 Minutes
Film Team:
Director: Delaney Ruston, MD
Executive Producer: Lisa Tabb
Info:
Last Updated: 2024
Suitable for: Grade 6 up and adults
Available subtitles: English, Spanish, French and more
Filmmaker and physician Delaney Ruston uses a personal lens and professional eye to help us all flip the script on stress, anxiety, and depression.
We follow Delaney as she finds herself at a loss on how to help her own teens as they struggle with their emotional wellbeing. Ruston sets out to understand these challenges in our current screen-filled society, and how we as parents and schools empower teens to overcome mental health challenges and build emotional agility, communication savvy, and stress resilience.
We witness Delaney as she finds her way from ineffective parenting to much-improved strategies. We follow other personal stories of families from an array of backgrounds with a spectrum of emotional challenges.
We also observe approaches in schools that provide strategies relevant beyond the classroom setting. Interwoven into the stories are surprising insights from brain researchers, psychologists, and thought-leaders that reveal evidence-based ways to support mental wellness among our youth.
The impact of social media and screen time in general is incorporated in topics brought to our attention in Screenagers NEXT CHAPTER, how it may be impacting our teen’s mental health, and what we can do to help support youth in the face of struggles.
The parents definitely appreciated the film and walked away with new perspectives. We paired the screening with a panel discussion featuring a clinical child psychologist and an expert on media and children. It was a huge success!
Really captures the struggles we see parents and students having across the board. I appreciated the hope parents and kids felt at the end.
“Amazing documentary… very relevant for parents, teachers and students. Many parents left asking when we were going to show it again because they wanted to bring their friends.”
Screenagers features guidance for youth, parents and educators, along with a range of expert advice:
Dr. Dahl is the Chief Science Officer at the Center for the Developing Adolescent and the Director of the Institute of Human Development at the University of California, Berkeley.
Dr. Galván is a Professor of Psychology at UCLA whose expertise is in adolescent brain development. She is the Director of the Developmental Neuroscience Laboratory.
Dr. Kastner is a clinical professor in the Psychology Department and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington.
Dr. Siegel is a mindfulness expert and clinical professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine. He is also the co-director of the Mindful Awareness Research Center at UCLA.
Johnson is the co-author of The Self Driven Child: The Science and Sense of Giving Your Kids More Control Over Their Lives and founder of PREPMATTERS, a tutoring and test preparation service.
Dr. Walker-Harding is the Chief of Adolescent Medicine at Seattle Children's Hospital and an authority on teen addictive behaviors.
Dr. Pine is the Chief Research Psychiatrist of the National Institute of Mental Health. He is an expert in mood, anxiety and behavioral disorders in children.
The Gottmans founded the Gottman Institute in Seattle, where for 40 years they have conducted research on relationships, trained mental health professionals and help couples and families repair broken relationships.
Dr. Gross is a Professor of Psychology at Stanford University. He is also Director of the Stanford Psychophysiology Laboratory.
A licensed psychologist and a certified DBT therapist and co-author of the DBT STEPS-A social-emotional learning curriculum for middle and high school students.
Rideout is a world-renowned expert on children and the media. She is the founder of VJR Consulting, a group that conducts high-quality research on youth, families and media for universities, advocacy groups and media companies.
Dr. Koplewicz is Co-Founder and Medical Director of the Child Mind Institute. He is also one of the country’s leading child and adolescent psychiatrists and a recognized advocate for children’s mental health.
Lyons is a psychotherapist specializing in anxiety, especially in children and families. She is also a sought-after speaker and author of several books, including Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents.
A research psychologist and Professor Emeritus in the psychology department at CSU Dominguez Hills. Rosen specializes in multitasking, social networking and adolescent development. He is the author of 7 books.
Screenagers Next Chapter explores how social media, online pressures, and digital stress are affecting teens’ mental health, relationships, and sense of self.
Across school and community screenings, audiences report increased awareness of the emotional challenges teens face online, including anxiety, comparison, and the pressure to curate a digital identity.
By centering teen voices and real-life stories, the film helps students feel seen and understood, while giving parents and educators clearer insight into what young people are navigating every day. It encourages empathy, open communication, and healthier ways of responding to online challenges.
Building on the original Screenagers film, Next Chapter supports school communities in moving beyond screen time limits to focus on mental wellbeing, resilience, and connection in the digital age.
Were engaged by the movie
Thought the movie contained important information
Were motivated to make positive change after watching
Source: 2025 Survey of Member Schools
There are two main ways hosts can show this movie in their school or community:
A one-time screening license allows hosts to screen one of our movies once to their school or community on a chosen date.
The Screenagers Project is our online membership platform for schools and other orgs serving youth, giving year-round access to our movies, curriculum and resources.
We also provide all hosts with a range of helpful resources to help them put on an impactful event:
We provide discussion guides to help hosts facilitate meaningful, informed conversations after a screening, supporting reflection, dialogue, and next steps.
Our marketing pack is available ahead of your event to help you plan and promote your screening. It includes ready-to-use posters, editable templates, social media graphics, and more.
Our membership includes an extensive library of lesson plans educators can use alongside school or classroom screenings. Materials are tailored for grades K–12 and designed to extend learning beyond the film.
Each film includes printable handouts for attendees, helping families learn more about the film’s themes and continue conversations at home and in the wider community.
Don’t just take our word for it! Here’s what some of our recent hosts had to say about their screenings
Our Screenagers movie event was a success! Your team was very helpful and professional. Screenagers has generated much discussion. We are planning for next year!
The event achieved exactly what we set out to and more. I could not have asked for any better. I received so much positive feedback!
So many people thanked us for having a showing and it seemed like everyone gleaned something from it! Thank you again for walking us through everything and making it easy to have a community event like this.
The parents definitely appreciated the film and walked away with new perspectives. We paired the screening with a panel discussion featuring a clinical child psychologist and an expert on media and children. It was a huge success!
We have been fortunate enough to screen your films multiple times in our schools and community, in partnership with many here in Westborough. It has helped fuel me in my work and as a parent.
The film itself is wonderful, and I was so happy to find the wealth of resources that came along with it. We are glad to have such good support for our work with parents.
Learn more about showing our movies in your school or community!
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