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Celling Your Soul: No App for Life
By Andrea Beach,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Earnest docu about communicating in the digital age.
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Celling Your Soul: No App for Life
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What's the Story?
In CELLING YOUR SOUL: NO APP FOR LIFE college professor and director of this documentary Joni Siani follows a group of her students as they undertake the "digital cleanse." It's one of her biggest assignments, and it asks students to put away their cell phones and stop using all forms of digital communication for a week. We follow the students through in-depth interviews and video journals as they assess their relationships with digital communication. Siani explains the importance of in-person interaction, and examines the consequences of losing the ability to do so for the first generation, now coming of age, to grow up entirely in the digital era.
Is It Any Good?
This earnest, well-meaning documentary aims to open viewers' eyes to how much they rely on digital communication, and the skills and genuine emotions they're in danger of losing because of it. The group of older teens Celling Your Soul follows as they try the "digital cleanse" are relatable and articulate; following their stories raises a lot of issues important to teens coming of age in the smartphone era. Professor Siani, who also directed the film, is engaging as she argues the benefits of learning how to interact and communicate in person.
It does beg a few questions, though. Like whether there are other things that have us checking our phones dozens of times a day besides social media updates and text messages. Or any proposed solutions to teaching communication skills to kids who've used texting their whole lives. Or whether digital life is different for nonwhite people, or people without financial security. But it does provide a lot of important food for thought that teens, families, classmates, and friends should digest and talk about.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Celling Your Soul portrays teen and young-adult technology use. Does it paint an accurate picture? Is your own use of digital communication different?
What are some of the drawbacks to relying so much on digital communication? Why is it a big deal? What are the benefits of communicating in person?
Do you think you could do a "digital cleanse"? If not, why not? Do you think you start with something smaller, like Common Sense Media's Device-Free Dinner initiative? Or, for resources from the Celling Your Soul filmmakers, click here.
Did watching this movie change how you view your relationship with technology? If so, how? If not, why not?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: April 15, 2015
- Director: Joni Siani
- Studio: Bullfrog Films
- Genre: Documentary
- Topics: Friendship
- Run time: 48 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: September 20, 2019
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