Disconnected
Student script competition addressing real mental health issues impacting Nebraska youth
“Disconnected” shares how being so always-connected is a primary challenge facing youth today. Through the story of a high school student struggling to maintain connection in his everyday relationships after a personal loss, the film shows the ease with which technology can supplant IRL connections.
A collaboration with The Glowmedia Project, the film is the result of a statewide script competition asking students to reflect on their relationship with technology. It was written by a high school junior from Auburn, Nebraska–who then was flown to Los Angeles to watch his script turn into film form.
Watch the film
With easy-to-follow tutorials and step-by-step demonstrations, our video demos make it easy to understand.
About the Film
When Lucas loses his beloved grandmother, the grief overwhelms him in ways he doesn’t know how to express. Unable to open up to his family about the pain he’s carrying, he turns to an AI chatbot for comfort and companionship. At first, the app seems to ease his loneliness, but as Lucas begins relying on the bot as a substitute for the person he lost, his grief deepens into depression and isolation from the people and world around him. When he finally reaches a breaking point and the AI cannot truly meet him in his pain, Lucas is forced to reconnect with the family and friends who love him.
The companion guides help students build healthier relationships with technology, foster critical thinking about online behavior, and develop strategies for self-regulation, digital balance, and emotional resilience.
The companion guides help students build healthier relationships with technology, foster critical thinking about online behavior, and develop strategies for self-regulation, digital balance, and emotional resilience.
More “Disconnected”
This film reflects the kind of storytelling we believe can make a real difference.
Trish Glowacki
Founder and Executive Director, Glowmedia
Founder and Executive Director, Glowmedia
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