The past two weeks we have been taking a look at how we use social media.
Last week we learned that WHAT YOU POST MATTERS.
Most kids don't think about how they are portraying themselves to the
world via their Facebook, Istagram, Twitter, or other social media
account. This week kids were challenged to run their posts through the
filter of "Is this helpful or hurtful?" before making a post. Like Paul
said, "Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words
will be an encouragement to those who hear them." --Ephesians 4:29
This week we learned that YOU ARE MORE THAN WHAT YOU POST.
It's easy for kids to get so wrapped up in their social media accounts
that they begin to base their value and identity in their social media
image. This week kids were reminded that there is so much more to who
they are than their outward appearance. They learned that "Man looks at
the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." --1 Samuel
16:7
This is the Parent Cue that comes with each series of our curriculum. Read it for some tips!
1.
We’re Teaching This
Let's be honest. We've all been guilty of painting a
less-than-honest picture of ourselves or others through social media. But the
Bible reminds us that what we say—whether on-line or in person—matters. How we
talk about others, and ourselves, is important. And it all starts with what's
inside our hearts. So where do you need to rethink what you say on-line? What
things are you dealing with inside that need to stop showing up on your
newsfeed? What do you need to do to become the person you want to be—not just the
person you want everyone to think you are?
2.
Think About This
I remember when my family got our first VCR machine.
I was in elementary school and this “new technology” seemed so cool. You could
just pop in a video–remember those—and watch any movie you wanted to without
having to actually go to the movies. It was the beginning of the home theatre.
Just to other night, my kids and I wanted to watch a
movie and I was reminded of how much this experience has changed. As we
scrolled through the hundreds of movie titles on our Netflix feed, I found myself frustrated that we couldn’t find what
we wanted to watch. Would I actually have to go look at Hulu or Amazon to find
the movie we wanted? Then, once we found what we wanted, I put in my password
and a message came up telling me that I would have to wait a few minutes for my
movie to load and if it didn’t, to call Amazon
directly. I started to get a little bit frustrated, until I looked over at my
daughter who was REALLY frustrated. And I paused. This isn’t that big of a deal. I used to have to drive to Blockbuster,
spend 30 minutes walking around the store looking for a movie, stand in line to
pay and drive back home all before we could even put the movie in.
It’s funny how nowadays, everything is at our
fingertips and yet we are less satisfied and less patient. You wake up in the
morning and turn on the television. Instantly, you have all the latest news
right in front of you from around the world. You’re driving in your car and you
hear a song that you really like. You grab your phone, type in a few lyrics and
find out who the artist is, along with the album, song and entire discography.
We don’t have to wait for anything these days. We live in a world where we can
have what we want almost immediately. And sometimes this availability in the world
of technology and media gets transferred to other areas of our lives. Even
areas that are meant to take more time and be a bit difficult, like
relationships with other people and with God; even our own relationship with
ourselves. But sometimes, the waiting process—delaying the gratification of
something we want, of a result we want to see–is a really healthy and good
thing. Because the old adage “good things are worth waiting for” is true.
Waiting for something—going through a process—can make us appreciate the whole
experience more. And if we aren’t careful, our relationship with technology and
the expectation of immediacy it fosters will rob us of the ability to exercise
the wonderful discipline of delayed gratification.
Maybe there’s some merit to this idea of waiting on
something and even waiting for something.
Maybe by waiting a bit—waiting to check our cell phones, Facebook feeds,
Twitter feeds, email, text messages, you name it—we will begin to move at a faster
pace with the most important things: our relationships. Maybe we can learn to
slow down a bit. Breathe a bit. Look around a bit. And ultimately, enjoy the
beautiful relationships and experiences that come with waiting and resting.
3.
Try This
Choose
one night and get everyone in your family off the grid. That means a full media
blackout for everyone in your household for 6-9 hours. No Twitter, Facebook,
Instagram, Vine … no Internet at all. In fact, get really serious and have a
designated and out-of-reach spot for everyone to put their phones—and iPads,
tablets … you name it—and instead, spend that time in face-to-face, quality
family time. You could go out for a family night or a have a media-free zone at
home and have a meal and after-dinner game night together. Here are some fun
dinner table questions to get your night rolling.
- If you could have picked your own
name, what would it be?
- If you had to eat the same meal
every night for dinner, what would you eat?
- Which of your friends do you
think I/we like the most? Why?
- What is the earliest memory you
have of our family?
- What would you do if you were
invisible for a day?
- Would you rather be: A
professional athlete, an actor/actress or a singer? Why?
- What punishment have I/we given
you that you thought was really unfair? Why?
- What fast food restaurant could
you eat at for an entire day—breakfast, lunch and dinner?
