The Coalition Against Substance Abuse and the Manhasset Rotary partnered for the screening of the movie “Screenagers” at the Manhasset Public Library on Feb. 6 and will host another Rotary Speaks event in March.
The goal of Rotary Speaks is to bring information on a variety of topics that impact us in the course of daily life.
“Screenagers” portrays the impact of addictive smartphone usage and increased screen time.
This was just one of a series of events the two organizations are co-sponsoring that have dealt with many facets of the opioid epidemic and substance abuse and other topics like active shooters and cyberbullying.
“The movie was very informative but the lively Q&A from the more than 65 residents in attendance proved how important this information was,” Manhasset Rotary President Janice Da Silva said.
Many of the parents in attendance expressed concerns including things like a downward trend in grades in school, antisocial behavior or not being able to make eye contact with others and pressure from bullying to name a few.
Steve Panzik, Director of the Manhasset Crew Team and volunteer with CASA fielded most of the questions.
“When we were kids, someone that bullied you did so at or around school. Kids could hide from the bullies and had a safe place to go when they went home,” Panzik said. “Today, the bullying follows them wherever they are. The stress on that the smart phones bring is enormous.”
Many were asking whether the Manhasset School District had any specific policies that deal with the use of devices during school.
For those who could not attend, screenings are posted at screenagersmovie.com.
The next in the series, titled “In Your Face – Unseen” will be screened at 7 p.m. March 6 at the Manhasset Library and will feature Nassau County Police Officer Daniel Hedgecock. The discussion will focus on the “transition of today’s drug culture and how to identify it.”
