Do You Have a Cell Phone? Does Your Child? Here’s a Film You Need to Watch.

If you don’t have any major plans this evening (or Thursday), it would be worth your time to go out and see Kirk Cameron’s new film “Connect.”:

This movie covers how the digital age is affecting our children and provides insight into how we can equip and protect them. Today’s parents grew up with computers, but social media didn’t come of age until our early adulthood. Having not dealt with the pressures and problems of this platform, we are faced with the task of how to help our kids learn to properly use the tools we so readily place in their hands.

We hear stories on the news of sexual predators, bullying, pornography exposure, phone addiction, online gambling, and tend to think “it won’t happen to my kid.” Are you willing to take that chance? Studies continue to emerge highlighting the impact of social media on our lives. There are stories in the news of Tech Executives who refuse to have an account (or limit their exposure on their account) because they are intimately acquainted with the problems associated with these platforms.

We are called to train our children in the way they should go. In order to train them, we need knowledge. Medical professionals don’t go to school for 5-10 years and then throw their books in the trash; they complete continuing education every one to two years so they can stay abreast of the changing trends, new medications, and emerging issues in their field. As parents, we need to approach our jobs in the same way—we need continuing education! Our technology can be used for good, but, as with anything in this world, there is also the potential for harm.

The apostle Peter wrote: “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.” (1 Peter 5.8-9, ESV)

Technology is not a sin, it’s a tool, but any tool improperly used can cause serious damage. Let’s get the knowledge we need to use that tool effectively and teach our children how to handle it responsibly.

Connect is playing in theaters today, February 27th and Thursday March 1st. Click the link to find theaters and showtimes in your area!

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For additional reading:

“Heavy Social Media Users ‘Trapped in Endless Cycle of Depression'”

Man Who Invented “Like” Button Deletes Facebook App Over Addiction Fears

What are Your Kids Plugged Into?