Media Alert!
June 2026
BLOG #79
Sue Summers
MediaSavvyKids.org
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing ofyour 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)
Silence Condones!
Let’s face it! Sometimes it’s just easier to ignore a situation than engage. Sometimes we’re just tired, sometimes our minds are on other things, and sometimes we just rationalize – “it’s not that bad.” We’ve all avoided disagreeable situations with our kids by using silence when we observe them involved with inappropriate or – at the very least – less than terrific entertainment options. They have the TV on and are watching a questionable movie, and we decide not to raise a fuss, because their friends are with them, or we just don’t have the energy to “get into it” with them, or the show is “just a bit less than wholesome”. Let’s look at what “a bit less than wholesome” might entail.
Some of this week’s TV choices include both real crime and fictional programs based on bizarre and disturbing events:
Dateline: NBC News correspondents cover compelling stories and issues of the day, ranging from mystery and crime to in-depth investigations and breaking-news events.
Unsolved Mysteries on cable TV: Using reenactments and interviews with law officers and investigators, the program looks at various crimes, missing-person cases and occasional stories of the supernatural.
Criminal Minds: The show is about the elite Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI which is the brain and brawn behind a majority of criminal investigations across the country.
Oxygen TV on cable TV: The network primarily airs true crime television series and police procedural dramas.
True Crime Network on cable TV: a 24/7 television network that shares gripping crime and investigation programming.
And then there are the movies offered at the theater, not yet available for “streaming.” It is certainly enjoyable to head to the movies for some afternoon or evening entertainment. But choosing becomes hard for involved parents. Your teens are headed to the movies. What movie? Again, there’s that dilemma: Do I question and present my opinions and values, or do I hope their values are solid, or do I throw caution to the wind and think they won’t remember the movie anyway? Hmmm.
This week at the theater, some of the choices are:
Disclosure Day (PG13): The plot revolves around a cybersecurity expert whistleblower, trying to reveal secrets about aliens, putting him on the run from an evil corporation, while a meteorologist experiences strange phenomena and joins forces with him to prove there’s life beyond our knowledge.
Obsession (R – Horror): After breaking the mysterious “One Wish Willow” to win his crush’s heart, a hopeless romantic finds himself getting exactly what he asked for but soon discovers that some desires come at a dark, sinister price.
Leviticus (R – Horror): Two teenage boys must escape a violent entity that takes the form of the person they desire most – each other.
Scary Movie 6 (R – Horror): Twenty-six years after outrunning a suspiciously familiar masked killer, the Core Four are back in the killer’s crosshairs and no horror movie IP is safe.
The Furious (R): After the daughter of Wang Wei is kidnapped by a criminal network and he receives no help from the corrupt police, Wei sets out on a rampage to find her himself. His only ally is Navin – a relentless journalist whose wife has mysteriously disappeared. Fueled by a furious vengeance, the unlikely duo ruthlessly fights against the kidnappers in this explosive martial arts showdown.
Backrooms (R – Horror): A strange doorway appears in the basement of a furniture showroom.
Of course, there are movies that are appropriate such as Toy Story 5 (PG) and Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu (PG13), but the ratio certainly favors the unfavorable.
The culture’s standards of acceptability have declined. We must be engaged in conversations about what is acceptable in our family. Remember: Silence condones! If you are not talking about and living your ideas, beliefs, and values, how will they know?
So how can we help teens become media-savvy about the culture that surrounds them?
As always, it is imperative that discussion be a part of the family’s “MO”. One can’t suddenly take a stand against a specific TV program, videogame, music lyric, or movie if there’s never been a foundation of understanding of the family’s standards. So, rather than wait for the inevitable crisis to occur, it is time to begin that understanding right away… before that decision needs to be made. The goal is for that child or teen to make decisions on his or her own that hopefully reflect the values you have taught.
Use meal time or car travel time to ask questions and give opinions that promote interaction rather than arguments. A few possible discussion starters are:
• “Why do movie makers spend time and money to create a new movie?”
• “Can a character’s behavior in a movie or TV program affect our behavior or thinking?”
• “What is a stereotype? Have you noticed any in recent movies or TV programs you’ve seen?”
• “Are you like any of the characters in movies you’ve seen? If so, in what ways?”
• “How is success portrayed in movies? Does it match your definition of personal success in life?”
• “What is happiness as depicted in movies or TV programs? What’s your definition of happiness?”
• “Have you seen any examples of following the ‘Golden Rule’ in any movies or TV shows you’ve watched?”
Be sure to allow discussion of God’s plan for each of us to be part of these conversations.
Thought for contemplation: “What would have happened if Jesus Christ had remained silent and had not disrupted the existing order of the culture?”
If you do not share your values, how can your teens learn them? The most important person in a teen’s life is not a movie or TV character – it’s you!
Remember: silence condones!
• 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, #SilenceCondones, #What’sPlaying?, #ToughEntertainmentChoices
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Lessons to Help Teens Stand for Christ in Today’s Culture
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© Sue Summers 2026
Media Alert! 