Time online, do our kids even use a computer anymore? The book Praying Scriptures for Your Teenagers was published in 2007. In 2007 did teenagers even have smart phones? Most likely not. But we can reword this chapter to cell phone and social media use to be more relevant for today.
There are so many dangers that the internet and social media have created for our kids and teenagers. Jodie Berndt’s research found that 9 out of 10 children ages 8 to 16 have viewed pornography and half of all teens talk to people that they have never met through forms of social media and the internet. Cyber bullying is also another danger that our kids can get mixed up in through social media and the internet. Being behind the screen has given teens more confidence to say things that they typically would not say in person.
Protecting our kids and teens from these types of behaviors needs to be one of number one priorities. We can start by praying and ask God to expose any sins or anything harmful or dangerous to them. Let me tell you from experience, THIS WORKS! We can also set up a plan just like Nehemiah when he and the other Jews worked on rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem. Their enemies plotted ways to destroy their work just like Satan opens the door for our teens to stumble on things online and through social media. Nehemiah did 3 things. He prayed, posted guard, and made a plan to fight back. We need to do the same.
First, we need to pray. We need to pray for our teens and their whole generation using scripture and cry out to the Lord. You can join me, July 19th 630-730 Pm for our Next Generation Prayer Group where we dedicate this hour to praying for our kids using scriptures. Or create a time on your own where you specifically pray for your kids and their friends.
Next, we need to post guard. Spend quality time with our kids so they do not go looking somewhere else to fill their needs of family and community. We can not let the media push out the relationships with family members and God. Bring computers and cell phones in a common area. If they are allowed to have those things in their rooms or in rooms where no one is watching, it is an invitation for the devil. Be alert of danger. Watch for signs like exiting out of screens or closing the phone down as soon as you enter the room. My 5 year old son just did this not so long ago. They learn early. I told him he could have his iPad time as long as he was on ABC Mouse. I left the room to go do something else and when I came back in he hurried up and scrambled on the iPad. When I asked him what he was doing he told me “uhhhh nothing”. When I took the iPad off of him and saw all the latest screens, he had Netflix up and not ABC Mouse. We then got to have a nice chat about his iPad time use. Rules need to be established and monitor what your kids are doing and who they are talking to. They may complain and say we are “invading their privacy” but in reality we are protecting their purity.
And finally we need to be a model. Model appropriate times to be on your phone or computer. And let them know how awful things like pornography are and how disrespectful it is to men and woman everywhere. Another tip we can use from Nehemiah is to use the buddy system. Nehemiah used the buddy system while rebuilding the walls to help alert the others if the enemy was close. We need our churches, schools and neighbors to build a community to work together and be the safeguard for our kids. We need to help educate and equip other parents.
Our church computer guru, Ben Murphy held a very informative zoom meeting back in April on how to protect what comes in and what you can block on your routers and modem. Check it out here: https://www.harvestpittsburghnorth.org/blog/2020/4/14/family-tip-tuesday-presents-the-household-cto
If you find your teen involved with porn or another dangerous habit online, our first response needs to be love. Explain to them that you love them but HATE what they have been doing, and explain to them that those behaviors will only hurt their mind and spirit. Then help them make a plan to fight the temptation.
