Parent Resource: Plugged in
by Kelsey Byrn, LPC-MHSP Temp
Resource Link for Parents: www.pluggedin.com
I love the way the Focus on the Family article “Entertainment, Worldview, and Your Family” presents the issue of media exposure and today's children and teenagers. In working with the younger population every day, these words could not ring more true...
"We know from social scientists that kids are growing up spending many, many hours a day on screens, engaging with entertainment, and social media. Some studies say that screentime may be approaching nine hours a day (or more!) for 21st-century kids (and about the same amount for us as parents, lest you think you’re off the hook). Given that sobering reality, the need for understanding how media and entertainment shape our kids’ hearts, souls, and passions has never, I’d argue, been greater.
We no longer live in a culture with a shared understanding of what is real, true, or good. All those things are up for grabs. Our reality reflects a vast sea of entertainment that our kids swim through every day. As parents, we have a responsibility not only to protect our children from these influences when they’re younger, but also to equip them to be able to face this onslaught of ideas on their own as they grow into young adults. To do that, we must be actively, intentionally engaged in conversations about our popular culture."
Source: Greer, J. (2023, January 3). Entertainment, worldview, and your family. Focus on the Family. Retrieved April 10, 2023, from Entertainment, Worldview, and Your Family.
A friend of mine shared a beautiful picture of parenting wisdom: "You lay the truth over your child's heart and pray that one day, when their heart breaks, that truth falls in." Your children will inevitably be exposed to the lies of an ungodly culture, however, you as the parent do have a say in what content you will and will not allow your child to take in under your roof. Not only can you set healthy boundaries around media content, but you can also teach them the "why" behind the boundaries that God lays out for us in Scripture, about how we are called to live and to obey Him.