I can barely contain how much joy I feel that our new film, Screenagers Under The Influence: Addressing Vaping, Drugs, and Alcohol in the Digital Age, is launching soon and will be a great resource for young people and adults who want to support them better. Screenings are already scheduled to start in just two and a half weeks.

As a physician, I have worked with youth at the intersection of substance use, risk-taking, mental health, and screen time for many years. Yet, this does not mean I have not felt very unsure about how to parent my kids around these issues. I've had many questions about how to have conversations with my kids about vaping, weed, alcohol, and other topics. I've also had questions like, how much to share about my own past experiences? How to be present in my kids' lives but not be overbearing or intrusive. 

I have also had questions about the latest science around the impact of substances on youth development — from occasional use to more frequent use. All these topics and many more are addressed in this film.  I learned so much while making Screenagers Under The Influence. 

For years, my film partner Lisa and I have been wondering why there wasn't a film that provided helpful strategies for helping teens navigate their lives when it comes to the intersection of substances and our tech revolution. So we decided to create one ourselves. It's been a long journey, but we're completely thrilled with the final product. We are also incredibly appreciative to all the people in the film, people from such diverse backgrounds, and so much to offer all of us.  

Our film features five inspiring stories that are raw, relatable, and full of hope. We hear from families, youth, experts, and scientists, and the richness of their experiences will spark productive conversations wherever the film is shown. We've already had rough-cut screenings with teens and adults, and the conversations that start right when the lights go up were engaging and productive.

Here is just a tad of what is in the film:

One of the stories in the film is about Ellie, who used social media to help her quit vaping. We also meet Elijah, now 21, and his mom, Rosalind Wiseman (Author of Queen Bees and Wannabes and seven other books about teens), who share their experiences with risk-taking and media influence. Wiseman shares how, even as a known parenting expert, she struggled every step of the way. And we witness one specific way that helped Elijah make positive changes. We hear from Joshua and his family about his struggle not with a reinforcing substance but with the reinforcing, dopamine-rich activity — video gaming. And Jo and her family share how depression led her to frequent cannabis use and how things finally changed for her. 

Go to this page to find out how to host a screening.

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As well as our weekly blog, we publish videos like this one every week on the Screenagers YouTube channel