Grauer School Presents Film Screening of "Play Again"

Online, March 18, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Encinitas, CA----In the continuing series of "Great Conversations" commemorating the 20th Anniversary of The Grauer School, the school will screen a film all parents will find gripping and essential: "Play Again." "Play Again" is an award-winning documentary that explores the changing balance between the virtual and natural worlds. The public is invited to attend the screening followed by a discussion, which will be held on Friday, March 25, 2011, at 6:00 p.m. in the Great Room on campus located at 1500 South El Camino Real in Encinitas. The film follows six teenagers who are taken on their first wilderness adventure - no electricity, no cell phone coverage, no virtual reality.

The average American child now spends over eight hours in front of a screen each day. Fielding emails, texts, and news updates, children can name hundreds of corporate logos, but less than ten native plants. They have a massive number of online friends, most of which they may never meet in person. They have mastered complicated situations presented in online games, but often avoid simple person-to-person conversations. They are almost entirely out of contact with nature, focusing rather on the digital arena. According to Dr. Stuart Grauer, "Virtual is not real! For many people, especially children, screens have become the medium by which the greater world is experienced. A virtual world of digitally transmitted pictures, voices, and scenarios may be becoming more real to the current generation than the world of sun, water, air, and living organisms, including fellow humans. We want parents to be the informed decision makers here, not an invasion of media. Let's talk."

The Grauer School is a UNESCO associated, independent grades 6 -12 college preparatory school accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and is renowned for its expeditionary learning, which has enabled Grauer to provide the most balanced pathway to top colleges available in our region. To learn more about The Grauer School experience, or the "Great Conversation" series, visit www.grauerschool.com or call 760/944-6777. A $10 donation to defray the costs of the film screening will be accepted at the door.