In 2006, a year before Facebook became available to the general public, Media and Communication Professor Joni Siani, was a first-hand witness to the potential harm that the shift to digital connection may pose for an entire generation. With no model for best practices, teens and young adults were struggling to adapt to this new form of human socialization through a digital realm. 
 
As social media rose to a phenomenon and billion dollar industry, the cautionary stories of teens and young adults being affected by the digital socialization experience, were simply drowned out. Siani explains, “I was a constant sounding board for the real-life digital drama that my students were traumatized by as they explained ‘the train-wreck’ they were trying to handle.”
 
Siani explains, “when you listen, you learn.” Students were revealing that they “didn’t ask for this,” “feel trapped,” and “judged,” and were looking for help. 
 
During the decade that Facebook was hiding their research, Siani was incorporating the research of some of the world’s leading authorities on the intersection between the human experience and the digital demands, creating a course of study, activities and curriculum to Repair, Restore and Prevent the damaging impact of digital socialization.

Dedicated to this mission, Siani and a passionate team of students set out to share what they were learning.  Associate Producer of Celling Your Soul, Ben Abbene, a 19 year old student at the time, convinced Siani to "write a book." The students voted on the title, Siani got to work, when he then said, "how about a movie, we're not big readers!" 

There was no budget, no fundraising, just a teacher with a credit card and a group of talented, dedicated students determined to share their story. An important note - the “digital cleanse” footage that you see in Celling Your Soul was NEVER intended to be part of a documentary, only social science experiment as part of their final grade!  Their feelings and personal discoveries are authentic and revealing. 
 
As we are now celebrating the Ten Year anniversary of Celling Your Soul, our mission has shifted from the cautionary tale told in the film, to Repair the negative fallout of digital socialization connected to social media use, Restore the value of authentic connections in a digitally demanding world, and Prevent further negative implications with our advocacy work.  
 
We have continued to listen and learn.  We have “tweaked” the digital cleanse with an updated version you can use.  The Film Guide and Workbook is a FREE activity you can download and use individually, with friends and family or as a school activity.  
 
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