Community Impact Team Zeroes In on Digital Reduction

This year, one of the focus groups of the Community Impact Team's PreK-12 Action Team has explored the topics of cell phone and social media use for our community. In partnership with the North Reading Youth Substance Use Prevention Coalition, we'll be offering a viewing of "Screenagers: Growing up in the Digital Age" on March 24th at 6:30pm. Now updated for 25/26 with the latest science, research, and expert insights, “Screenagers” is an award-winning documentary that dives into the challenges families face in this digital age.

The screening will be held in the Distance Learning Lab at the North Reading Middle/High School (with virtual option). The screening of this film is appropriate for parents, guardians, caregivers and middle and high school students.

In addition, in partnership with the Flint Memorial Library and North Reading Youth Substance Use Prevention Coalition, we'll be launching a Community Book Read at the March 24th viewing. "The Amazing Generation: Your Guide to Fun and Freedom in a Screen-Filled World" is a book for middle-grade readers by Jonathan Haidt and Catherine Price, illustrated by Cynthia Yuan Cheng, that serves as a kid-friendly adaptation of Haidt's "The Anxious Generation," offering strategies for balancing technology with real-world experiences to improve mental health and find authentic fun. It uses a graphic novel format with comics, charts, and anecdotes to explain how social media and smartphones can negatively impact well-being, framing it as a guide to "rebelling" against tech companies for a more fulfilling life.

Drug-Free Communities Grant Director Amy Luckiewicz explained, “This book complements the movie screening. We know the impact screentime has on mental wellness, and the Youth Substance Use Prevention Coalition sees this project as tackling a risk factor to substance use and declining mental health.” She added, “We’re thrilled to partner with the PreK-12 Action Team and Flint Memorial Library on this project.”

Limited copies of both "The Anxious Generation" and "The Amaxing Generation" will be available for free at the in-person screening of "Screenagers:

To register, visit:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSda9suHvB0Gl2y19CI_CL7eDY6F3nMgjAzXM4WWkg98vxhJKg/viewform