Left: Dr. Putrino addresses the audience. Right: Panel members discuss digital responsibility.
On May 10, Renaissance, Mount Hebron and Glenfield middle school students gathered together in Glenfield's auditorium for a screening of the documentary “Screenagers.” The one-hour film by Delaney Ruston examines the struggle over social media, video games, academics and Internet addiction. An attentive audience of teachers, administrators, parents and students learned poignant insights on how tech time has physiological, psychological and social impacts.
Immediately following the film, Glenfield principal Dr. Joseph Putrino introduced a guest panel and moderated a lively post-screening Q&A. Those panelists included Montclair-based family therapist Dr. Jude Webster, Montclair Police Department's Detective Ricky Cook and Officer Anjannette Johnson, and Renaissance tech teacher Jackie Collier-Thomas.
Dr. Putrino noted, "This event substantiates the ongoing conversations that we have with our school community about how to be digitally responsible citizens, and finding an important balance that allows our students to access and use technology to complement their educational experience rather than deter from it."
Diane Anglin, president of Montclair's PTA Council added, "This was a great collaboration among our three middle schools. Clearly the sold-out response to this film indicates that we're just scratching the surface of a deeper discussion about how technology best serves our children and how we as parents can better connect with them... offline. It certainly spurred a truthful conversation between me and my son as soon as we left the event!"
Below, Before the event began, students and staff held up their cell phones illuminating the auditorium, calling attention to the growing dependence on technology.