Media Alert!
July 2026
BLOG #80
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)
“Normalizing the Abnormal!”
The mass media launch trends, shape attitudes, influence actions, and manipulate viewpoints. They promote the ready acceptance of new ideas. The mass media cause all of these things to occur rapidly. Before electronic media, it took months or even years for ideas or actions to become known and then to be accepted by the general population. Now, because of our constant connection to others, the flow of ideas and news – both those that are reliable and those that are opinionated – is immediate.
What is the “new normal?” Is this “new normal” desirable? The struggle is what to believe and what trends to follow.
Some normalization is inconsequential. For instance, wearing baseball caps backwards began about 15 years ago and was just a style change – something that hadn’t previously been “the norm” quickly spread throughout the culture. Much of this was because of music video artists and celebrities adopting the trend, and others quickly copying it.
This past February’s half-time show at the SuperBowl with Bad Bunny and Lady Gaga is an example of the sexualized performances that have become standard. To watch a mere 55-seconds of this bizarre routine, go to: www.youtube.com/watch?v=srlJK47DzEU
Some trends that are accepted today could seem odd or outdated within even a year or two. You can probably think of “cultural norms” that are now part of our lives that would have bothered your parents or grandparents. Our culture is rapidly changing.
There are some transitions that are significant and indeed questionable. Some matter and others are merely stylistic and of no real consequence. So how do we know what to believe or follow and what to dismiss? And more importantly, how do we help our teens work through this bombardment of mixed messages and varied values?
Consider Isaiah 5:20 in God’s Word:
“Woe to those who call evil good
and good evil,
who put darkness for light
and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
and sweet for bitter.”
Our “Grid of Truth” – the Bible – gives us the foundation we need to determine appropriate standards and behavior. Our teens can become familiar with this Truth through modeling by parents, church attendance, Bible studies, and family values demonstrated on a daily basis.
So how can we help teens become media-savvy about the culture that surrounds them?
Have regular family discussions as new developments occur rather than wait until a child or grandchild is “all in” with a new trend.
One idea: share the Romans 12:2 scripture listed above and discuss how this applies to our lives today.
Here are some discussion starters:
• “Think of current styles or concepts that seem unusual or questionable. What is your reaction?”
• “When ‘everyone’ seems to believe something, is it really that all people have accepted it?”
• “Is there something we can use as a ‘Grid of Truth’ as we wrestle with changing norms?”
• “Can the Bible still be trusted as Truth and a reliable foundation for our decisions?”
• “Does God care about what’s ‘trending now’ or does He advocate unchanging and permanent values?”
• “Do we all need to alter our ideas or values as the culture’s norms change, or are there some things that are consistently right and appropriate?”
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It’s time for all of us to comprehend that our relationship with God and His ways is more important than what “influencers” on Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, or WhatsApp are saying.
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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, #NormalizingTheAbnormal, #TeensFollowingTrends, #TheGridOfTruth, #What’sNormal?
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Sue’s newest book is a curriculum with 25 lessons for Christian teachers, youth pastors, homeschool parents, and Sunday School teachers. The lessons encourage teens to think about the culture that surrounds them and discover what God says about all of it.
Let’s Raise Media-Savvy Kids!
Lessons to Help Teens Stand for Christ in Today’s Culture
It is now available on Amazon for $15.99.
Buy one for homeschool families, your church, or a Christian middle- or high school!
© Sue Summers 2026
Media Alert! 