Glowmedia: Using Films to Educate

It’s hard being an adolescent today, given how much technology surrounds them, the pressures placed on their futures and successes, and criticisms from adults about how they don’t understand the younger generation. It can be even harder for adolescents who are minorities and/or have mental illnesses that include things such as anxiety or an eating disorder.

All of these come with stereotypes and some level of stigma, and growing up exposed to these can have a negative effect on these adolescents. That’s where Glowmedia comes in to help combat these ideas.

Glowmedia publishes videos to help educate teenagers and adolescents about a variety of topics that can affect them, with a focus on mental health (think about them as a shorter, modern-day, more relevant version of the Afterschool Specials from the 70s, 80s, and 90s). Not only are these videos that you can watch on your own, but the site also provides a toolkit for each video that classrooms and programs can use to lead discussions, complete worksheets, and give instructions about how to show these videos in these settings.

The videos themselves are short films, and though they are fictional, the topics they address are done so in a way that can feel relatable for adolescents, helping them feel seen. They’re free and can be watched alone, with others in an effort to start a conversation, or, like mentioned before, in a group setting like a classroom to normalize and destigmatize these topics. The website also provides alternative links and resources for the subjects that they address, such as eating disorders, LGBTQ+ and sexuality, and addiction.

Check out their films and learn more about it here!

Have you ever seen Glowmedia films before? Can you think of any other video series that help address issues that adolescents deal with? Where else do you think people can show Glowmedia films?