Leonard Middle School and Penquis have teamed up to do a screening of the movie Screenagers: Growing Up in the Digital Age at LMS. The movie will be on February 6 from 6-7:30 p.m. and be free to the public; parents are encouraged to bring their children to the movie. Pizza will be served.

Screenagers been watched by more than one million people around the world. With multiple screenings happening daily in communities across the globe, Screenagers is the first feature documentary to explore the impact of screen technology on kids and offer parents and families proven solutions that work. What started out as a personal story for one has grown into a national movement, helping millions of teens and their families navigate growing up in a world with instant access to screens.

Physician and filmmaker, Delaney Ruston decided to make Screenagers when she found herself constantly struggling with her two kids about screen time. Ruston felt guilty and confused, not sure what limits were best, especially around mobile phones, social media, gaming, and how to monitor online homework. Hearing repeatedly how other parents were equally overwhelmed, she realized this is one of the biggest, unexplored parenting issues of our time.

As a director, Ruston turned the camera on her own family and others—revealing stories of messy struggles over social media, video games, academics and internet addiction. We meet Hannah, a 14-year old victim of social media bullying who struggled trying to hide her social media use from her mom. And Andrew, whose love of video games turned into an addiction taking him from earning straight A’s to flunking out of college.

Interwoven into these stories, are cutting edge science and insights from thought leaders Peggy Orenstein, Sherry Turkle, Simon Sinek, as well as leading brain scientists who present evidence on the real changes in the brain when kids are on screens. Screenager goes far beyond exposing the risks of screen time, it reveals multiple approaches on how parents and educators can work with kids to help them achieve a healthy amount of screen time.

Delaney Ruston is a filmmaker, doctor and mother of two. Through her company, MyDoc Productions, Delaney has made award-winning films such as Unlisted: A Story of Schizophrenia, about her father, and Hidden Pictures: A Personal Journey into Global Mental Health. These films aired on PBS, and were the focus of national campaigns to raise awareness about mental health and were featured at conferences by the World Health Organization. Delaney has been invited to screen her films and be a guest presenter to hundreds of worldwide audiences. She presents to a wide range of audiences ranging from school age children to The United Nations, The World Health Organization, Harvard and TEDX.