Parents, our kids are losing touch with reality
Make your kids experience what is real
I read an article about the over-sexualization of media and the dangers of social media. (DISCLAIMER: The author’s cover image is a scantily-clad woman. It is a screenshot of a post used to highlight the authors post but is revealing nonetheless.)
I have attached the article below. It is an insightful read about the dangers of our modern society digitally.
When I was in grade school, we used to play outside with my neighborhood friends sometimes nightly. In the summers and fall, we would spend hours playing basketball, football, games, etc.
I would be remiss to say that kids don’t play outside anymore.
Obviously, they do.
However, I think kids are losing touch with reality.
They spend hours on phones, tablets, and virtual realities.
Freya in her article shares that “The average age to discover porn is now 13, for boys and girls.”
Pornography at its core is a false reality.
I’ll wrap up the sexuality topic with that…
Kids today are hardly interacting with reality.
The movies they watch. The music they listen to. The games they play. The ads they are fed. The participation awards they are given.
None of that is how the world actually works. Most couples don’t stay together like the movies suggest… You don’t get another life like you do in video games... People don’t look that pretty or put together in person… You won’t get a good raise for doing an average job at work…
With the world changing, we as parents need to be thoughtful about how we teach our kids.
It is important that they realize that only doing things that make them happy will never be a reality for them. Work may be fulfilling, but it is not always enjoyable. Having a family may bring them joy, but it will often be difficult and stressful.
Reality is difficult. We cannot let our kids numb that difficulty by immersing themselves in fake realities.
What to do:
Limit media.
Teach hard lessons.
Reward them based on their output, not their participation.
Set them up to fail—at things that are not dangerous or harmful to their confidence or wellbeing. Help your kids see that failure is going to happen regardless. Don’t be sadistic or irrational. There is a difference between making your kid struggle through learning how to fold a sheet properly at home and sabotaging your kids reputation with their friends.
Spend time outside or doing real activities.
Reward desired behavior.
Limit activities and encourage reflection and rest.
Kids need to reconnect with our real world. They need safe and developing activities and places to grow.
Take a second to think about how we as parents and leaders can create those spaces for our youth.
Great article, Abram! I appreciate your heart and love for people!