New film being shown in schools warns children of dangers of social media

A new film being shown in schools warns children and teenagers against becoming absorbed by social media.

Me, Myselfie And I, by Islington-based Bafta-winning video platform TrueTube.co.uk, is described as “Big meets Black Mirror” and features a schoolboy who gets trapped inside his smartphone.

The film mixes smartphone footage with cinematic shots in a retelling of the Greek myth of Narcissus, who fell in love with his own reflection.

It stars Michael Bunani, who appeared in Channel 4 sitcom Man Down, as John, a selfie addict obsessed with capturing his own image and posting the shots on social media streams.

Producer Alastair Collinson said Me, Myselfie And I, shot in north London, was inspired by the “ever-increasing time we spend on our phones in our own little echo chambers” as “a narcissism epidemic sweeps society”. It has been released to coincide with Safer Internet Day today.

This week the Government is due to publish its first guidance on limiting children’s screen time. The advice — such as taking a break at least every two hours and avoiding social media before bedtime — follows concerns about the harm being done to young people.

Mr Collinson said: “The film aims to start an honest discussion that doesn’t chastise young people, but seeks to help them understand selfie addiction and the harm it can cause.”

In the film, John misses out on world events because of his obsession, saying they “weren’t in his feed, so he doesn’t care”. He fails in class and even forgets to walk with his girlfriend to school after blanking her calls.

He becomes trapped in his phone after getting “sucked up inside of it”, where he is confronted with thousands of his own images and his own reflection telling him how beautiful he is. John’s hooded mirror image dismisses the real world as “the other boring place”.

Desperate to escape digital purgatory before his phone’s battery runs out, John has an epiphany, saying “I don’t want to be that person”, but the film also features a twist to leave the audience thinking.

Mr Bunani, 19, an economics student at Royal Holloway, University of London, said he hoped the film would help “youths better understand the impact of social media and take responsibility for this very powerful tool”.

TrueTube produces socially aware and emotional educational films aimed mostly at schools. The platform has won seven Bafta Children’s Awards, including one for Like Me, starring Maleficent actress Isobelle Molloy.

At a Safer Internet Day conference in the City, Digital Minister Margot James was due to announce a crackdown to protect users of social media, including tougher measures forcing online giants to remove harmful content.

Me, Myselfie And I is available to view online now

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