Media Alert!
March 2025
BLOG #64
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)
“Are You a Thermostat or a Thermometer?”
Let’s face it! We are all influenced by the culture around us. We spend countless hours viewing, listening, reading, and interacting with the mass media – especially the Internet. Our culture will not be returning to the “good old days” of even a decade ago, much less the 1950s that some extol.
“As of the third quarter of 2024, Internet users spent six hours and 38 minutes online daily.” (www.statista.com/statistics/1380282/daily-time-spent-online-global)
The Internet is the nucleus of the culture, especially for teens. Activities that we used to pursue have faded. Time in the outdoors, enjoying activities with friends, playing or watching sports, reading, attending church functions, volunteering, and participating in hobbies are now more anomalies than habits.
“Most teens use social media and have a smartphone, and nearly half say they’re online almost constantly, according to a new Pew Research Center survey of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 conducted Sept. 18-Oct. 10, 2024.” (www.pewresearch.org/internet/2024/12/12/teens-social-media-and-technology-2024)
The same article states, “Overall, 73% of teens say they go on YouTube daily, making YouTube the most widely used and visited platform we asked about. This share includes 15% who describe their use as ‘almost constant.’”
And 31% of U.S. adults now report that they go online “almost constantly”. Cell phones with Internet connections are ubiquitous! Look around and observe most Americans have their cell phones in their hands – or at least close by. It is common to see people in a social setting, like at a restaurant, interacting ONLY with their cell phones!
But is something being the norm the same as something being good? As Christians, we are called to be salt and light – to share the gospel and the ways of Jesus with the world.
Consider this thought:
“Thermostats control the temperature, while thermometers simply reflect it. The first century Church was well trained by its Master. Jesus told the earliest disciples and followers that they needed to resist the temptation to simply reflect the temperature of their culture: ‘You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.’ (Matthew 5:13, NASB)” (https://harbingersdaily.com/the-church-is-called-influence-the-culture-not-be-a-reflection-of-it)
In addition to salt, we are called to be light.
In this same article, J. Warner Wallace, the author, continues…
“Jesus told his followers to set the tone for the world around them. To change the flavor of the culture rather than simply adopt the flavor of their first century environment. We are salt. And we are light: ‘You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.’ (Matthew 5:14-16, NASB)”
Each of us is a COI – a Center of Influence. Others are watching. When we claim to be Christians – that is, Christ-followers – others want to see evidence. Some look for evidence that our faith makes us different from our culture, and some look for hypocrisy, the discovery that we are no different from our culture. Our faith is apparent in how we treat others, the way we speak and handle relationships, how we respond to difficulties, and the feelings we present with our expressions and gestures.
We must pull back from being sponge-like and become the salt and light needed to redirect this culture.
So how can we help teens become media-savvy about the culture that surrounds them?
It’s time to focus on who we are called to be as Christians – salt and light! By initiating pivotal conversations and setting a good example, we can share our connection to meaningful Christian values. Here are some ideas that may help:
• Set family standards and limits for use of cell phones, tablets, and computers. For example, adhere to the “no cell phone” rule at mealtimes, restrict cell phone use in the car and on trips, and set a “curfew” for all devices in the evening.
• Ask teens to imagine what life was like before the Internet became the center of our culture.
• Discuss appropriate and inappropriate uses of the Internet.
• Share, “Thermostats control the temperature, while thermometers simply reflect it.” Ask, “Which would you like to be and why?”
• Set up opportunities for everyone in the family or group to volunteer to help those who are in need.
• Watch: “How to share your faith with a friend” on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watchv=FRyZd1BcTX4
• Ask, “What ways could we use to share our faith using the Internet or social media posts?”
• Ask, “What are some ways others can recognize the indwelling spirit of Jesus Christ in our attitudes and actions?”
• Share, “Jesus wants us to be authentic… not hypocritical.” Discuss what this means.
• Ask, “What do you think are some specific changes we can each make in our lives to better reflect who we are in Christ?”
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, #BeingSaltAndLight, #AreYouAThermostatOrAThermometer?, #JesusWantsUsToBeAuthentic, #ShareYourFaithWithAFriend
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