When we screened Screenagers to employees at Pixar, the organizer Guido Quaroni, V.P. of Software R&D at Pixar (and also the voice Guido in Cars) and I talked about their recruitment efforts. He told me that the hardest people to find for Pixar were good story writers, animators, designers... not programmers. The creatives, however, he said ... "Ahhh, man, that is hard."
In a Common Sense Media report they found that only 3% of what kids do online is actually content creation, i.e. making videos, music with programs like Garage Band. This not surprising because it's hard work to be creative (Elizabeth Gilbert talks beautifully about this in her TED Talk). The brain of teens, like us. gets seduced into relaxation through entertainment.
I've been shocked that my kids' teachers never give homework that involves using tech for creating. I'd love to see homework that requires actions like listening to music that ties into history and then have them try to compose a funny bit on their own using something like Garage Band. They have so much homework on the computer why not have part of the homework really focus on using it creatively?
Learn more about showing our movies in your school or community!
Join Screenagers filmmaker Delaney Ruston MD for our latest Podcast
Learn more about our Screen-Free Sleep campaign at the website!
Our movie made for parents and educators of younger kids
Learn more about showing our movies in your school or community!
Learn more about showing our movies in your school or community!
Join Screenagers filmmaker Delaney Ruston MD for our latest Podcast
Learn more about our Screen-Free Sleep campaign at the website!
Our movie made for parents and educators of younger kids
Join Screenagers filmmaker Delaney Ruston MD for our latest Podcast
As we’re about to celebrate 10 years of Screenagers, we want to hear what’s been most helpful and what you’d like to see next.
Please click here to share your thoughts with us in our community survey. It only takes 5–10 minutes, and everyone who completes it will be entered to win one of five $50 Amazon vouchers.
When we screened Screenagers to employees at Pixar, the organizer Guido Quaroni, V.P. of Software R&D at Pixar (and also the voice Guido in Cars) and I talked about their recruitment efforts. He told me that the hardest people to find for Pixar were good story writers, animators, designers... not programmers. The creatives, however, he said ... "Ahhh, man, that is hard."
In a Common Sense Media report they found that only 3% of what kids do online is actually content creation, i.e. making videos, music with programs like Garage Band. This not surprising because it's hard work to be creative (Elizabeth Gilbert talks beautifully about this in her TED Talk). The brain of teens, like us. gets seduced into relaxation through entertainment.
I've been shocked that my kids' teachers never give homework that involves using tech for creating. I'd love to see homework that requires actions like listening to music that ties into history and then have them try to compose a funny bit on their own using something like Garage Band. They have so much homework on the computer why not have part of the homework really focus on using it creatively?
Sign up here to receive the weekly Tech Talk Tuesdays newsletter from Screenagers filmmaker Delaney Ruston MD.
We respect your privacy.
When we screened Screenagers to employees at Pixar, the organizer Guido Quaroni, V.P. of Software R&D at Pixar (and also the voice Guido in Cars) and I talked about their recruitment efforts. He told me that the hardest people to find for Pixar were good story writers, animators, designers... not programmers. The creatives, however, he said ... "Ahhh, man, that is hard."
In a Common Sense Media report they found that only 3% of what kids do online is actually content creation, i.e. making videos, music with programs like Garage Band. This not surprising because it's hard work to be creative (Elizabeth Gilbert talks beautifully about this in her TED Talk). The brain of teens, like us. gets seduced into relaxation through entertainment.
I've been shocked that my kids' teachers never give homework that involves using tech for creating. I'd love to see homework that requires actions like listening to music that ties into history and then have them try to compose a funny bit on their own using something like Garage Band. They have so much homework on the computer why not have part of the homework really focus on using it creatively?
When kids break a rule, most parents default to handing down a consequence. But research on autonomy-supportive parenting shows that inviting kids to help decide the consequence leads to deeper learning, stronger accountability, and even kinder behavior toward others. Younger kids tend to overpunish themselves while teens often go easy, and both create natural openings for parents to guide the conversation. The goal isn't softer consequences. It's consequences that actually teach.
READ MORE >
Kids with ADHD benefit most when parents provide support at the exact moment behavior happens, a science-backed approach called "point of performance." Abruptly shifting from high-stimulation screen time to demanding tasks creates a "dopamine cliff," a brain chemistry drop that often shows up as resistance and conflict. Understanding both concepts helps parents smooth those transitions and build real skills and confidence in their kids over time.
READ MORE >
A new Louis Theroux documentary on Netflix exposes the growing network of online influencers pushing sexism, misogyny, and a narrow vision of masculinity on boys and young men. Combined with last year's hit series Adolescence, it is a wake-up call for parents. The good news: there is a lot we can do. This week, I round up our most relevant blogs and podcast episodes from recent months, covering everything from the "interrupter" technique to boys' mental health, phones in schools, online sports betting, pornography, and the manosphere's exploitation of boys' loneliness. The research is clear that parents who show up with curiosity, honesty, and consistency have more influence than they realize.
READ MORE >for more like this, DR. DELANEY RUSTON'S NEW BOOK, PARENTING IN THE SCREEN AGE, IS THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE FOR TODAY’S PARENTS. WITH INSIGHTS ON SCREEN TIME FROM RESEARCHERS, INPUT FROM KIDS & TEENS, THIS BOOK IS PACKED WITH SOLUTIONS FOR HOW TO START AND SUSTAIN PRODUCTIVE FAMILY TALKS ABOUT TECHNOLOGY AND IT’S IMPACT ON OUR MENTAL WELLBEING.
