Preacher on the Run…

“It’s easily the most impactful book I’ve read this year. Possibly, the most important for this generation”. Those were the words our student pastor told me last week. He has been reading Jonathan Haidt’s “The Anxious Generation“. In the book, Haidt lays out the facts about the teen mental health epidemic, explores some of the results of a “phone-based childhood”, and offers a clear call to action. In essence, the book is all about childhood and technology.

The student pastor found it so important he started putting discussion questions up for parents each month. He wanted to engage and equip parents as they stumble through this jungle of raising kids in a technologically forward world. But he didn’t stop there, he hosted a workshop for parents on this very subject. Not one week later, I had a friend of mine text me about this subject as he was curious as to our practice as a family. Then within another week another friend and I started talking about the appropriate age to let our kids have their own phones. This is a real issue…and any parent will tell you – there is no clear guideline to follow.

Technology has been documented to have numerous positive and negative effects on us as humans. But underlying all the effects is a deeper, more subtle wrestling we must do. It’s a question that needs to be asked and a reality to be recognized. How does technology shape us? Because it does. That is what Andrew T. Walker and Christian Walker address in their article “A Parent’s Guide to Talking with Kids about Technology“. Don’t think of this as the 10 commandments of raising kids the “right way” regarding technology. That’s not this article, nor do I think such a one could be written. But it does give great principles, conversation guides, and questions as parents address this topic with their kids.

I particularly enjoyed the conversation guide and the Walkers layout toward the end of the article. One of the greatest challenges our family faces, having kids of various ages/stages, is how to have the same conversations at appropriate levels. The article helps in that arena especially. But what did you think? What was most helpful? Any disagreement you have? As always I’d love to hear from my readers. And don’t forget to be with the Lord’s people on the Lord’s Day!

Until Next Time…