This is one issue that continues to confuse me. That we, as a Christian community, are ignoring the reality of what these screens in pockets and palms all day truly mean. Many parents relentlessly focus on what appears risky in the real world, but pales in comparison to the endless opportunity for sin readily, algorithmically and endlessly available on the internet. That "virtual" reality is still reality in a child's world. Not embodied, but definitely influencing.
Parents controlling real, physical world risks like what books kids read, where they play outside and who they have friendships with misses the mark (sin).
The bigger devil in our modern world is carried around with them all day in their pockets. It's well past time we wake up on this obvious issue.
Men’s rite of passage (“porn”) emasculating father then son then being laughed at and told we like it. It’s enraging to be told our primal fear (women surrendering to terrible men and loving it - because they are more well endowed, aggressive, adventurous, use toys etc. - giving women what they really want (apparently, to a teen boy)) is not being shoved in our faces and our sons. As if our curiosity at that age could be contained. Only to be told - you’re jealous of women’s success. No, we are publicly humiliated and then gaslit. And we are to let it happen to our sons too. Or else we’re slut-shaming. That’s a neat trick everyone pulled, blaming the patriarchy for what’s obviously destroying it.
Brilliant and well said Emily!
This is one issue that continues to confuse me. That we, as a Christian community, are ignoring the reality of what these screens in pockets and palms all day truly mean. Many parents relentlessly focus on what appears risky in the real world, but pales in comparison to the endless opportunity for sin readily, algorithmically and endlessly available on the internet. That "virtual" reality is still reality in a child's world. Not embodied, but definitely influencing.
Parents controlling real, physical world risks like what books kids read, where they play outside and who they have friendships with misses the mark (sin).
The bigger devil in our modern world is carried around with them all day in their pockets. It's well past time we wake up on this obvious issue.
Thanks, Andrea. The data is overwhelmingly sad. When I read the Old Testament references to child sacrifice, the modern world seems awfully similar.
Who let it happen?
Men’s rite of passage (“porn”) emasculating father then son then being laughed at and told we like it. It’s enraging to be told our primal fear (women surrendering to terrible men and loving it - because they are more well endowed, aggressive, adventurous, use toys etc. - giving women what they really want (apparently, to a teen boy)) is not being shoved in our faces and our sons. As if our curiosity at that age could be contained. Only to be told - you’re jealous of women’s success. No, we are publicly humiliated and then gaslit. And we are to let it happen to our sons too. Or else we’re slut-shaming. That’s a neat trick everyone pulled, blaming the patriarchy for what’s obviously destroying it.