Today's teenagers live in an age that poses unique challenges for their sense of worth and sense of common humanity. Teenagers are inspiring in the freedom they inhabit and their declarations and inventions. But, being young right now often means being one, invisible person in an ever-growing, digitally-connected population of millions of invisible people. With endless technology and thousands of impersonal "interactions" through this technology, our young people seek connections which build their compassion, personal engagement with and understanding of their peers, their world. . We live in a world of constant communication, and so too do we live in a world of greater distance and anonymity that is depriving our youth of a vital need to connect.Â
By sharing each other's human stories in person, through film, the common threads and feelings of growing up will help teenage, devoted storytellers see familiarity in those around them and consider others a compliment to themselves. Through Scout, through storytelling and celebration, we remind our teenagers they are individually unique and talented; their creative stories can empower them and reassure them that they are collectively responsible for the legacy of their generation; through their lens.
Written by Anna Colavito, Founder Scout Film Festival scoutfilmfestival.org