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I am super happy to share the news that our film, Screenagers Under the Influence: Addressing Vaping, Drugs, and Alcohol in the Digital Age, has been updated by the Screenagers team and I. 

Let me say a little about this and then offer in this blog a little quiz to use to bring up substances and alcohol with your tweens and teens. 

In the updated film, we’ve added coverage of nicotine pouches, the most popular being Zyns, and refreshed key sections so the film feels completely current. 

We know that staying current is very important to teen viewers, which is a big reason our other films Screenagers: Growing Up in the Digital Age and Screenagers Next Chapter have already been updated.

Topics covered through true stories and cutting-edge science include vaping, nicotine pouches, alcohol, opioids, mushrooms, cannabis, and the process addictions of video gaming. 

We have a full version of the film (which is just over an hour) for use at community screening events, a student/classroom version, discussion and education guides, and lots of other resources related to the film, all set to go!

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Here are some true or false prompts from topics covered in the film that you can share with your teen today.

If your teen has already seen Screenagers Under the Influence, these will reinforce their learning. If not, learn more about the movie and watch the trailer here and consider emailing your child’s school to suggest a school screening. 

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True or False: Social media companies have practically eliminated the ability for illegal drug purchases on their platforms.

False.
Unfortunately, while parents and others are working hard to bring about needed change in companies, such as Snapchat, substances of all types, including pills laced with fentanyl, remain widely available online.

Disappearing messages, app anonymity, and endless connections on social media make access even easier. We need to have regular conversations with young people about this. 

“Drug dealing in today’s day and age has gone from brick-and-mortar buildings to social media and apps like Snapchat, Instagram, WeChat, TikTok, and even Twitter … The detective told me, ‘Your son died from fentanyl.’”

- Jaime, father of a son who died after buying opioids online  (quote from Screenagers Under The Influence)

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True or False: Teens have fewer problems with alcohol in France, where wine is part of everyday culture.
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False.

Fifteen-year-olds in France are three times more likely to report binge drinking than the same-age group in the U.S.

So the idea that making alcohol more accepted makes it safer for teens does not hold up.

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True or False: Alcohol impacts the part of the brain that regulates self-control equally in teens and adults.
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False.

Teen brains are uniquely vulnerable: alcohol impairs self-control more strongly in adolescents, making it harder to pause or stop once drinking begins.

“When I was drinking, I wasn’t behaving in a way that I wanted to be perceived. It also came with a lot of lost friendships.”

- Rhana, now a PhD in drug education  (quote from Screenagers Under The Influence) 

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True or False: In the name of safety, it is wise for parents to allow older teens to drink alcohol at home.

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False.‍

Research shows that early drinking predicts heavier drinking and more harm later in life.

“I didn’t allow the kids to have their friends over to drink or smoke … I didn’t want to sanction it … I didn’t know what was going on in their friends’ families … I didn’t want to make those decisions for those kids or those families.”

-Lisa, parent (quote from Screenagers Under The Influence)

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True or False: Cannabis is not really addictive.
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False.

“I was in total denial. I imagined this was just normal teenage behavior … She’ll manage it … she’ll smoke weed in moderation … it’s all part of growing up.”

- Father of a girl who shares her weed addiction story  (quote from Screenagers Under The Influence)

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Addiction to cannabis absolutely can, and increasingly does, occur. Teens facing mental health challenges are at greater risk, as they may turn to cannabis as a coping tool.

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Questions to get the conversation started with your group or family:

1. Use the T/F questions above to spark conversations
2. How do we each think about how our current digital world is impacting youth’s decisions around using or not using substances? 
3. Have you seen peers posting about their use of things like vapes or alcohol?

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