Media Alert!
September 2024
BLOG #58
Sue Summers
MediaSavvyKids.org
“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.” Romans 12:2 (The Message)
“Why Worldview Matters!”
Everyone has one; everyone uses one; not everyone knows it. What is it? It’s worldview, and it determines our reaction to all events, personal and public.
“Every human being has their own worldview, whether they know it or not. It manifests tangibly in their religious viewpoints, political allegiances, or moral practices. It also informs how they see the world, their place in it, and the personal standards to which they hold themselves. The term worldview refers to someone’s set of answers to all the big questions of life. This might include assessing whether or not there is a God, what ethical duty human beings have to each other, or how we can know certain things to be true.” (www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-a-worldview)
“A worldview is the sum total of our beliefs about the world.” (Chuck Colson).
It’s our derived conclusion about the answers to some basic questions:
- How did I get here?
- Why am I here?
- What happens to me when I’m no longer here?
As Christians, we form our philosophical assessments of reality and ethical beliefs on biblical principles and the teachings of Jesus Christ. This is why we sometimes have conflict with the viewpoints, opinions, and even actions of friends, family members, or public figures.
Stealing is one such example. As believers in God’s Ten Commandments (and other teachings in the Bible), we unequivocally think stealing is wrong. So, when we hear or read about about car thefts or “professional” gangs taking large quantities of merchandise from stores, we shake our heads in disbelief and struggle to understand the thieves’ thinking.
Another example of conflict brought about by differing worldviews is the Christian sacrament of marriage. Marriage seems to be optional for many couples in 2024. Living together is commonplace, and we are considered “old-fashioned” if we raise concerns. Our biblical worldview differs from what’s considered acceptable for young people today. The messages in movies, popular music, TV programs, and social media shout with a voice that is louder for many teens than their parents or the church.
The same is true with killing. “Life is precious!” Christianity teaches this concept and followers of Christ have embraced it. The horror of 60 million aborted babies since the 1973 Roe vs. Wade legal decision, makes it impossible to consider this as merely a political or cultural choice.
What influences mold the worldview of young people? Certainly, parents and church can, but these are in addition to social media and educational institutions which instill students with intellectual curiosity about the world, often in opposition to the worldview of their parents or local community.
The worldview of an atheist concludes there is no God or divine being, and therefore he lives life without concern for eternity or following any religious requirements. For many Gen Zers, this makes sense and, therefore, the focus is to “go for the gusto” and experience all they can while alive.
That motto came from a 1970’s advertising commercial for Schlitz Beer that proclaimed: “You only go around once in life: Go for the Gusto!” “This tagline was a clever marketing ploy that resonated with a culture focused on individualism and making the most out of life. It turned the product into a symbol for living life to the fullest.” (https://usdictionary.com/idioms/go-for-the-gusto) The same decade saw the popularity of L’Oreal’s iconic slogan: “because you’re worth it”. For many, the search for answers to life’s basic questions has become less important.
When worldviews clash, it’s difficult to find common ground for speaking the Truth in love, but we must equip our young people for that challenge, enabling them to develop their worldview and offer well-grounded explanations for them.
So how can we help teens become media-savvy about the culture that surrounds them?
We are not going to be able to remove conflicting worldview messages from the lives of our teens – or us! The goal is to become critical thinkers. We can’t live in a cave, avoiding all viewpoints that don’t align with our biblical worldview. There are two important strategies:
• Establish a Christian foundation, a grounding in the Bible – “the Grid of Truth”. This is accomplished through attending a Bible-believing church, youth group, youth retreat, and Sunday School, and through home devotionals and Bible studies.
• Create an atmosphere of open communication and discussion. Interact with teens without preaching or judging. Ask questions and study the culture together with the Bible as the source of Truth.
Try these discussion starters with your teens.
• Ask, “Have you ever thought about why people don’t all have the same ideas about life and right and wrong?” Discuss their answers.
• Share, “Much of what we see, hear, or read comes from people who have different worldviews than we do. A worldview is the sum total of our beliefs about the world.” Ask, “Have you ever had a conflict with someone who has a different viewpoint?” Discuss.
• Share, “As we watch the news or hear stories about what’s happening in the world, we often struggle to understand the viewpoint or actions of others. Can you think of some examples?”
• Share, “How we see the world is often based on how we interpret our experiences according to our worldview.” Watch this video on YouTube together about “The Blind Men and the Elephant” and then discuss its meaning: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1ufcikLn54
• Share, “People we meet or listen to often don’t have the same biblical worldview we have. Let’s watch this video on YouTube to expand our thoughts about this.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaSmzet5AcQ
• Ask, “Does this video help you better understand your worldview? What thoughts or questions do you have?”
• Share, “Let’s continue to talk about various viewpoints we learn about. Some will line up with a biblical worldview – others won’t. There is an ongoing need for discernment. We’ll discuss more as we encounter others’ worldviews.”
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
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