Let’s talk Technology (Yep, again.)
Posted on March 26, 2014 in Uncategorized
Recently, I had the privilege to spend the evening at one of our local Christian Schools. I met with parents who are concerned. They are concerned about their kids and social media. They are concerned about people out in the world who don’t have their kids’ best interests in mind. They are concerned about the amount of time kids spend on their devices, the amount of time texting, the amount of time looking through peers’ photos. They want to know how to hold fast to biblical truths in parenting and keep up with the way the world works in 2014.
Often I hear parents say “my 5 year old knows more about my iPad than I do”, or “if I don’t know how to do something on the computer, I just ask my middle-schooler.” We can’t accept this any more. We can’t let the technology world pass us by and hope for the best. As parents, we must educate ourselves. We must be on guard.
1 in 5 mobile searches are for pornography
93% of boys and 62% of girls are exposed to internet porn by age 18.
76% of first encounters with online predators happen in chat rooms.
39% of teens have sent or posted sexually suggestive messages.
26% of teens and young adults say someone has written something about them online that was untrue.
Don’t let social media and technology be one of those things that you don’t care about until there has been a violation against you or your family.
Let me just say right off the bat:
1. I am not a techy…so all that I have to say to you comes either from the practical experience that I have had working with teenagers and their parents or from spending a lot of time researching.
2. I almost laughed out loud because several years ago when I started doing presentations for parents simply because if you don’t operate in a world like mine…how would you know all the slang terminology and the temptations and difficulties facing our teens? We, at CareNet focus on those things 8 hours a day and it is still work to keep up…but I am amazed at how much and how quickly things have changed…do you remember the “sex bracelets”? That was one of the things we covered in the original parent talk and now we are talking about Snapchat and Vine. Times they are a changin’.
3. I am going to give you suggestions of ways to deal with technology but they are my opinions. I don’t know your child or the dynamics of your home so you need to spend some time praying about it and asking the Lord for direction and for time to talk with your kids.
4. I believe every word that the Bible says about our children…they were born for such a time as this and they are more than conquerors…BUT we DO want them to be different and if we want them to be different we have to parent differently. We can’t just keep looking to the parents at our right and left to see how they are parenting and then copy that. Be okay with being different. Be the influence.
5. Finally as we have said…times are changing so quickly. The information I am sharing now will be obsolete very soon. As a parent it is our obligation to know. I hear parents say all the time…”I don’t understand technology…my child knows so much more than I know”…that simply isn’t good enough. We are placing devices in the hands of our children that have the power to alter their lives. I believe we have 2 options…either educate yourself OR don’t give them the device.
Some great websites that will just give you general information that your kids likely already know are:
www.theiphonemom.com
www.theonlinemom.com
www.connectsafely.org
www.securemom.com (this site has a really good internet safety checklist)
Tomorrow, I will be sharing with you a few tips about children and devices and a few ideas that have worked for my own family. Check back tomorrow! :)
My love,
