My Digital Life

Producer and host Larkin McPhee's timely guidance program looks at the digital revolution's effects on daily life. Noting that many teens start their mornings by checking texts or other forms of media, the program states that the reported figure of K-12 students devoting more than 53 hours weekly to screen time may be even higher when considering schoolwork (a group of teens here talk about how they use Skype primarily for homework problems…well of course you do, girls). While there are definite benefits, the experts here look at further considerations, including setting personal boundaries (would you put it on a billboard?), thinking ahead about being represented positively in the future, and using focused attention instead of multi-tasking. Also touching on subjects including a family “tech curfew” wind-down time, the benefits of face-to-face interaction, and letting go of constantly responding to others, My Digital Life reminds viewers who are “…spending a lot of time wired into the world [to] think about what you might be missing.” DVD extras include downloadable teaching materials. Recommended. Aud: J, H, P. (J. Williams-Wood)