"Screenagers: Under the Influence" Viewing and Discussion with SMART

Join Southbury & Middlebury Acting Responsibly Together (SMART Inc.) for a screening of the documentary Screenagers Under the Influence: Addressing Vaping, Drugs, & Alcohol in the Digital Age, followed by a short discussion. This film delves into how the tech revolution has reshaped adolescence and its effects on substance use. It debunks myths and depicts strategies parents and schools can use to encourage healthy decision-making, support teen mental health, set limits, and create healthy home environments. Grades 6 and above are invited to attend, along with parents, family members, educators, mental health providers, and all community members interested in learning more about the current state of the adolescent digital world!

About Screenagers Under the Influence: Addressing Vaping, Drugs, and Alcohol in the Digital Age: Exploring the latest research and learning more about the personal experiences of teens and families, the film highlights the changing landscape of the substances themselves, offering solutions for how we can best empower teens as they face decisions about what they will and will not be influenced by. Screenagers Under the Influence focuses on practical solutions for keeping our teens safe in a changing world. It also includes many ways young people are using their wisdom and strength to help each other and themselves through this complicated terrain around substance use. View the trailer here.

About SMART Inc.: SMART Inc. (Southbury & Middlebury Acting Responsible Together) is a nonprofit organization that supports the communities of Southbury, Middlebury, and beyond by offering educational programming, implementing prevention efforts and hosting trainings for students, parents, and community members. SMART is the Local Prevention Council for Southbury & Middlebury and works under the Department of Mental Health and Addiction services, in collaboration with Region 15 and other community sources, to increase public awareness about the prevention of substance abuse, identify & remove barriers to the wellbeing and successful development of our youth, and to create and maintain safe communities and school environments.

About the Filmmaker, Delaney Ruston, MD: An award winning filmmaker, Delaney Ruston, MD, has spent the past 11 years intensely researching the impact of screen time on youth and solutions for screen time balance. She utilizes expert-level interviews with leading psychiatric medical professionals from Stanford & Harvard, along with evidence-based research from principal investigators to guide the scientific piece of this film, while also exploring more common scenarios. The film is grounded in teens’ current reality of being flooded by images on social media, movies, and TV shows about vaping, drugs, and alcohol. Like the first two Screenagers films, Screenagers Under the Influence interweaves cutting-edge science with personal stories to create an informative and entertaining film experience for young people and adults alike.