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Screenagers NEXT CHAPTER

By: Brighter Futures & New Vision Wellness Centre
When: Available anytime online from May 18th – June 3rd
Where: From the comfort of your home
FREE!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER 

Filmmaker and physician Dr. Delaney Ruston takes the conversation around screens and teens to the next level with Screenagers NEXT CHAPTER: Uncovering Skills for Stress Resilience—a film that examines the science behind teen’s emotional challenges, the interplay of social media, and most importantly, what can be done in our schools and homes to help them build crucial skills to navigate stress, anxiety, and depression in our digital age.

In Screenagers NEXT CHAPTER, we follow Delaney as she finds herself at a loss on how to help her own teens as they struggle with their emotional wellbeing. She sets out to understand these challenges in our current screen-filled society, and how we, as parents and educators, can empower teens to overcome mental health challenges and build emotional agility, communication savvy, and stress resilience.

We witness Delaney as she finds her way from ineffective parenting to much-improved strategies. We follow other personal stories of families from an array of backgrounds with a spectrum of emotional challenges. We also observe approaches in schools that provide strategies relevant beyond the classroom setting. Interwoven into the stories are surprising insights from brain researchers, psychologists, and thought leaders that reveal evidence-based ways to support mental wellness among our youth. The impact of social media and other screen time is incorporated in all the topics raised in Screenagers NEXT CHAPTER, how it may be impacting our teens’ mental health, and what we can do to help foster youth in the face of struggles.

Facts from Screenagers NEXT CHAPTER include:

  • Since 2011, there has been a 59% increase in teens reporting depressive symptoms
  • Scientific data shows that 2+ hours a day on social media correlates with a higher chance of having unhappy feelings
  • Teens say their main way of coping with stress is to turn to a screen—this is concerning for many reasons and we need to ensure they have other coping skills
  • Some schools are implementing innovative programs, such as wellness clubs, where teens teach their peers essential communication skills, like conflict resolution and relationship building
  • State of the art therapies, including mindfulness, exposure therapy, and behavior activation, are being used to successfully treat anxiety and depression and yet many teens and adults don’t know that these proven interventions exist
  • When teens suppress emotions, research shows it negatively impacts their school work and other cognitive tasks
  • Just like toddlers’ brains are primed to learn languages, teenage brains are primed for learning skills to navigate complicated emotions
  • A recent study shows that when parents jump in, their stress goes down but their kid’s stress goes up
  • Why it’s important to help teens get comfortable feeling uncomfortable
  • Forward-thinking, concrete solutions for parents, counselors, and educators

Screenagers NEXT CHAPTER shows many ways parents, counselors, and educators can help teens build crucial skills for navigating stress, anxiety, and depression.

We encourage you to watch this with your tween and teens.

 

For Parent Guide or any questions, contact

Nicole Rushton, Mental Health and Addictions Nurse
Call or Text (250) 692-9620
Email

or

Candace Fisher, Youth Coordinator
Call (250) 692-4729 or (250) 691-1747
Email

For Youth Resources