IF WE DON ’ T
MANAGE OUR
MEDIA , OUR MEDIA
WILL MANAGE
US .
MONITOR MESSAGES IN MEDIA
Wherever your children are , you need to be there too . Whatever your children are watching , reading , or listening to , you need to as well . Before your children can access something , download it , listen to it , watch it , research it , and determine if it is appropriate . We ’ ve utilized Plugged In from Focus on the Family to help us in this way . Have conversations about the messages that are communicated in media . Help your children filter what they are consuming through the Bible so that they do not absorb unbiblical views or values .
Delay giving children devices until they are truly needed . Our family only allows our children to own a smartphone once they drive . We have one family computer , password-protected and kept in the living room . No social media is allowed . We must approve all app and music downloads . We gradually give older children more freedom under the watchful eye of parents . Greater freedoms should be granted when maturity and responsibility are displayed . A goal to consider : Children should be able to handle the internet and make their own media choices before leaving the home , as they will need the discernment and fortitude to navigate the pressures and temptations on their own . Recognize that allowing greater freedom does not mean that you are handsoff . There are tools and apps that allow you to see what children are doing online , monitor time usage , and place boundaries on technology use .
Media is a tool that can do much good and create a lot of damage . It influences who our children will become and what they believe , so we should wisely choose what media we allow into their hearts and minds . If we don ’ t manage our media , our media will manage us . It will take our children to unintended and undesirable places . If we are intentional , it can be a wonderful tool to disciple our children with a biblical worldview . decisive action by cutting off access . The moral and spiritual damage from porn is serious and long-term , so fight porn in your family with everything you ’ ve got . Put internet filters and accountability tools in place to help a child succeed . We ’ ve used Circle ( meetcircle . com ) as a whole-house filtering tool and found it helpful .
Consider a detox for children who have been given too much freedom with technology . You may need to hit the refresh button and establish new boundaries and guidelines . When new boundaries are placed on technology , be prepared to answer your child ’ s questions . Parents need to model healthy online behavior , so new media expectations should also apply to you .
Dr . Josh Mulvihill is the Executive Director of Church and Family Ministry at RenewaNation . He served as a pastor for nearly twenty years and serves on the board of Awana . He holds a Ph . D . from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary . He is the author of Biblical Grandparenting , Preparing Children for Marriage , Biblical Worldview , and 50 Things Every Child Needs to Know Before Leaving Home . Josh is married to Jen , and they have five children . Josh blogs at GospelShapedFamily . com .
ENDNOTES
1 . “ George Barna : Four Ms to help parents counter impact of social media on kids ,” Metro Voice , October 14 , 2021 , metrovoicenews . com / george-barnafour-ms-to-help-parents-counter-impact-of-social-media-on-kids .
2 . Brad Huddleston has some excellent resources on this topic , and I highly recommend you check out his work .
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