To the Editor:

On Jan. 30, the Guilderland Central School District and the Guilderland Public Library co-hosted a showing of the documentary film “Screenagers: Growing Up in the Digital Age” and 475 local residents showed up, many bringing their teen and pre-teen children.

The film looks at the two sides of the digital age and the constant presence of digital devices. While certainly acknowledging how useful these devices are, the film also examines addiction to these devices and the content they deliver, and negative health, psychological, and social effects that may occur when we let our devices become more important to us than they should be.

The amazing turnout included not just parents, children, school and library faculty, staff, students and board members, but also a wide cross-section of the community.  Guilderland Police Department Officers Patty Stallmer and Matt Hanzalik were there, as was Nancy Paino, the director of Faith Formation for Christ the King Roman Catholic Parish, who brought many of her students along to see the film.

I’m sure there were other community leaders there whom I haven’t met yet, or didn’t run into that night, so I’m sorry if I’ve left anyone out. This kind of community involvement in an important issue was wonderful to see.

Whenever I might be tempted to think that things have taken a turn for the worse in our society, I am reminded how much we care about our kids and each other by a turnout of nearly 500 people on a frigid winter night. Bravo, Guilderland!

Timothy Wiles, director

Guilderland Public Library