The topic of media consumption is a very relevant topic not only for our teens, but for us as adults as well. At any point in time I have a device that is connected to the internet on my person. And, can access any number of entertainment options from it. This is vastly different from the world I grew up in, in the 90's. Music could not be streamed instantly, movies could not be accessed on demand, and journals or books required paper. Yes, the internet was alive, well, and thriving in 1996. But, most of our tech was still tethered to the wall. My parents had a certain amount of tangible control over what I could or couldn't physically access. Today, the portability of tech makes that job harder for parents. What hasn't changed, is the need to teach our students to be discerning in what media to consume, and more importantly, how to consume it. I am thankful that I grew up with parents and a youth pastor, that helped me sort through how to digest media. It saved me from taking in and being shaped by some real garbage (Christian and non-Christian). Yes, there is Christian media (movies, music, books, etc) that is absolute garbage and should not be digested. And yes, a good deal of it was (and, is) marketed at my local Christian bookstore. I was encouraged to ask questions of everything I was watching, listening to, and reading. Questions that would help me work through what's true, what's opinion, and what is noble, pure, and lovely.
Here is a great article with some great questions to ask before, while, and after consuming media.
Let's be parents who help our kids work through not only what, but also how to digest all media.
If the link doesn't work, copy this into your browser of choice: http://reachstudents.blogs.efca.org/rated-r-for-wrong/
No comments:
Post a Comment