Media Alert!
August 2024
Blog #57
Sue Summers
MediaSavvyKids.org
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing, and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2, NIV)
“The Attraction and Distraction of Social Media!”
Consider these facts:
• “Social media is a collective term for websites and applications that focus on communication, community-based input, interaction, content-sharing and collaboration.
People use social media to stay in touch and interact with friends, family and various communities. Businesses use social applications to market and promote their products and track customer concerns.” (www.techtarget.com)
• “[Today] an estimated 4.9 billion people worldwide are expected to use social media. For teens who grew up with technology, those digital platforms are woven into the fabric of their lives.” (www.apa.org/monitor/2023/09/protecting-teens-on-social-media)
• “4.8 hours: Average number of hours a day that U.S. teens spend using seven popular social media apps, with YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram accounting for 87% of their social media time.” (www.apa.org/monitor/2024/04/teen-social-use-mental-health)
It’s a worldwide phenomenon and one that will continue to increase in popularity.
Many parents can be heard saying, “Are you on that phone again? Put your phone away!” Students in classrooms who have cell phones are likely paying more attention to TikTok than the teacher. Some school districts are banning cell phones but for both parents and teachers, saying “no” doesn’t solve the problem of social media’s ability to both attract and distract.
“Young people may be particularly vulnerable to social media’s charms—as well as its harms. During adolescent development, brain regions associated with the desire for attention, feedback, and reinforcement from peers become more sensitive. Meanwhile, the brain regions involved in self-control have not fully matured. That can be a recipe for disaster.” (www.apa.org/monitor/2024/04/teen-social-use-mental-health)
Cell phone use can be addictive – some research has shown that social media was intentionally designed to be addictive leaving teens isolated from family, friends, and other face-to-face interactions. The reality is that many teens are filling their days staring at cellphones, missing out on opportunities, experiences, and adventures that could positively impact long-term decisions and boost their personal development.
“Like other types of behavioral addictions, using social media can influence your brain in harmful ways. You may use social media compulsively and excessively. You can become so accustomed to scrolling through posts, images, and videos that it interferes with other areas of your life.
Some experts estimate up to 10 percent of people in the United States have social media addiction. However, due to how common social media use is in general, the number of those who have social media addiction may be higher.” (www.healthline.com/health/social-media-addiction#overview)
So how can we help teens become media-savvy about the culture that surrounds them?
Adults who are in the lives of teens have the opportunity to make a meaningful and long-lasting impact on young people’s decisions, values, and character. Every person has the chance to point teens in God’s direction with just the simple tools of engagement and conversation.
As stated in Deuteronomy 11:19 (NIV):
“Teach [God’s Words] to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”
Consider these discussion starters for the young people in your life:
• Ask, “What are your favorite social media sites? Why are these your favorites? How often do you check these sites? Have you ever put off doing something you knew you should do because you were checking social media? If yes, do you wonder if that’s something you should be concerned about?”
• Discuss the impact of social media on today’s culture, including advertising, the influence of celebrities, the entertaining videos on TikTok, and the infomercials on YouTube. Ask, “Do you think social media may be the most powerful force today that is influencing people’s thoughts and actions?”
• Ask, “Do you see your friends at school spending time online? Are they on social media sites or are they using their phone for other purposes, such as watching movies? Are you concerned your friends may be harmed by stunted academic achievement?”
• Ask, “What would you spend time doing if the Internet were no longer available?”
• Share, “According to current statistics, the average teen spends almost 5 hours per day involved with social media. Based on the time your friends spend online, would you say that seems accurate? What are some results of devoting that much time each day to social media sites?”
• Ask, “Are family dynamics impacted by social media addiction? Have you seen this in your family or in the families of your friends?”
• Share, “God’s Word tells us that our purpose is to share the gospel with others.” Ask, “Is it possible to use social media to do that? If so, how?”
• Let’s read this scripture in Romans 12:1-2 in The Message:
“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.
Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.”
• Ask, “If you wanted to do what God tells us in these verses, what things would you change in your life?”
• Share, “We all struggle with the issue of spending too much time on social media for a variety of reasons. Let’s encourage one another with ideas on how to reduce our time online.”
Note: Share this blog with your church’s youth pastor as a lesson for youth group gatherings.
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Sue Summers is a Christian media analyst, teacher, author, and speaker.
She is the Director of Media Alert!
Contact Info:
Blogs: MediaSavvyKids.org
Website: http://www.MediaAlert.org
Email: Sue@MediaAlert.org
#MediaSavvyKids, #ChristianParenting, #ChurchAndCulture, #YouthPastors, #YouthGroupCurriculum, #HelpForChristianParents, #TeensAndCulture, #AChangingCulture, #CriticalThinkingAndTeens, #IAmNotDefinedByTheCulture, #TheAttractionAndDistractionOfSocialMedia, #SocialMediaAndTeens, #SocialMediaAddiction
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Media Alert! 