RancheView School will host a powerful movie this Wednesday evening (January 31 ) about a topic that many parents find challenging. 

'Screenagers' is a documentary featuring a mom who struggles with the concept of buying her daughter an iPhone and trying to strike balance between screen time and electronic-free time.

In a world that is becoming more and more plugged in, discussing the impact the digital age has on young minds is very important.

Sharon Cronin, Administrator of RancheView School, says the movie will give a lot of insight on how parents can find a balance for children and themselves. "It talks about the amount of time kids are on screens whether it's phones, video games outside of school time. At the time when the documentary was made a few years ago, they say it was 6.5 hours a day and I recently heard it pushes closer to 8 hours."

With the recent stats, Cronin shares it is important for adults to really understand the long-term impacts this is having and how many kids are struggling to have a real face to face conversation. 

Schools face other challenges especially around social media and although students are not necessarily allowed to use cell phones, Cronin is not gullible to think it is not happening. "I am not so naive to think it doesn't happen, the kids are sneaking it so to speak and has it become a problem...yes it has...in particular with our older grades. Whether it's happening out of school hours but then what happens outside of school trickles down into school hours especially with the social-emotional piece."

Besides spending many hours mitigating the damage social media can have on a young person, Cronin says some students crave the need to be plugged in all the time. "We see the impact with students who are struggling with wanting and needing that screen time all the time and parents not really knowing how to manage that. The number of conversations I actually have with parents about setting limits and creating boundaries for 'tech time' at home is quite remarkable and the need for ongoing conversations that it is okay to set limits."

Cronin is hopeful the movie generates dialogue about the struggles and what possible solutions or strategies could help. "We are going to start the evening off with some discussion and questions, stop it part way through to have more conversation, and then at the end. We are setting it up table style, so people can sit at tables and have those conversations."

The evening is not just centred around teenagers, but kids anywhere from kindergarten and up. "I think it is important; we know that kids are accessing technology at a very young age and it's important for parents to see where it can go. Let's be proactive and what kinds of things we can get in place."

Screenagers is open to the entire community and will be shown on Wednesday (January 31) beginning at 6:30 pm. Free babysitting will be provided and while tickets are free, the school is asking you to register here.