Screenagers Blog

We made the Screenagers movies to be shown in group community settings such as schools, places of worship, workplaces and more. Let us share with you the steps to putting on your own successful Screenagers event, along with some of our most helpful tips!

From the wide range of feedback we have received over the years, we have learned more and more about the real-world benefits hosts and viewers have gained from our movies. Presented here, for those thinking about hosting a screening in their community is feedback on the most widely reported benefits we have seen.

Screenagers: Next Chapter explores openly, the topic of mental health in youth today and meets many real-world young people and families, openly discussing their stories, challenges and identifying solutions applicable to all. Learn more about why now is the right time to screen this movie at your school.

As the world starts to open up more, and household members are newly pulled in different directions, I thought it was the perfect time to consider how families can create routines to feel connected. In today's TTT, I share with you a weekly break from tech that one family calls Tech Shabbat.

Many children are languishing when it comes to having in-person social activities. Yes, there is more in-person school, but many youth feel lonely, unseen, and unsure of things. This can be so tricky for us parents — especially when our kids are teens. The last thing we want to do is helicopter parenting, but there is a role for our social engineering at times.

It is the last week of Mental Health Awareness Month, and I wanted to recommend a fun game I invented to do with your family that has been given a big thumbs up by youth. It is called “Boggled by Emotions.” It takes two minutes, and sure way to get smiles in your home or classroom.

Can you commit to making one small change around a screen time habit for a specific amount of time and to discuss your plans with kids in your life. Today, I explore reasons why this helps our kids and offer plenty of examples of small changes to consider.

Every one of us parents has experienced episodes of pain because of our child’s pain. Our pain becomes exponentially worse when our kids face things such as serious mood challenges, drug challenges, etc. Add to that parents often feel judged by others for what is happening with their child. Moms have traditionally been the brunt of judgment. Today I share a story about what happened with me and three sisters and one of their daughters who has battled anxiety and depression.

Today I speak with a psychologist and researcher who has been working for decades to understand and prevent bullying. The word cyberbullying gets used A LOT by young people, and sometimes it's misused. Today I explore how to talk with our kids about cyberbullying and ways we can support them in our schools.

These are tough times for lots of kids and teens, and high on the list is anxiety concerning school. These feelings may be from social anxiety that existed before but accelerated during Covid or perhaps anxiety around possible virus transmission.Today, I write about creating a “Toolbox” of healthy coping strategies for anxious feelings and feature 2 incredible psychologist's ideas.

Pre, during, or post COVID, it’s equally challenging for us when our kids and teens resist what we know will help them. How do external rewards fit into all of this? Don’t rewards just crush internal motivation? And while we might “win” in the short term, aren’t we messing them up in the long run? And how does some clever social engineering as a parent fit into all this?

I am concerned about our youth, and science substantiates my worries as studies are reporting very high rates of mental health challenges. I’m calling on everyone to band together to find solutions. I have lots of ideas I explore with you today.