Youth Culture Today with Walt Mueller

According to a survey conducted by the Girl Scouts of the USA organization, our girls are feeling a growing amount of anxiety regarding their futures. The survey found that fifty-four percent of girls ages five to thirteen say that the idea of becoming an adult is scary or overwhelming. For girls ages eleven to thirteen, the number feeling the same wariness about the future is sixty percent. The survey reports that one not-at-all-surprising reason for this anxiety is the presence of social media and what the survey refers to as growing up in a hyper-digital world. One remedy suggested by the Girl Scouts of the USA is a remedy that should be readily available in the church. That is, providing girls with older mentors who will walk through life with them, offering them the kind of presence and support that will not only steer them in the right direction, but facilitate the growth of resiliency. You've heard it said that it takes a village to raise a child. Look for kids to mentor at your church.

From time to time I have given you updates on teenagers and drug use. The latest data from the National Institute on Drug Abuse show us that while the use of drugs and alcohol continues to be a problem among our kids, there is some good news. The majority of our teenagers report no use of substances during the previous thirty day period. Ninety one percent of eighth graders, eighty two percent of tenth graders, and sixty six percent of twelfth graders report using no marijuana, alcohol, or nicotine in the last thirty days. This trend reflects a steady decline that's held since twenty twenty. However, the most frequently used substances by our kids are alcohol, nicotine via vaping devices, and marijuana. What this means is that our work is not done. The ready availability of these substances coupled with the adolescent bent towards experimentation and self-medication, requires our constant diligence, our educational efforts, and our willingness to intervene when necessary.

Something is trending among British teenagers that has left us wondering if we will ever see it here. A survey of two thousands parents and their teenage children offered some insight into how social interactions are changing in our increasingly digitized world. Ninety two percent of the teenagers surveyed said that they are much more comfortable and at ease communicating with someone via text or emoji than they are at communicating face-to-face. In addition, fifty-six percent of the teens surveyed are uncomfortable engaging in small talk, and they admit that they'd go to lengths to avoid it. And finally, twenty four percent of the teens say they cannot deliver a handshake that's confident. Parents, I'm guessing that you were trained to look people in the eye, carry on a conversation, and deliver a firm handshake. We need to foster face-to-face intergenerational communication, and our churches are a great place for making that happen!

There's a common scene in old western movies where a weary traveler comes into town, ties up his horse in front of the tavern, and steps to the bar. The bartender always asks, “What'll you have?” If you ask that question of teenagers looking to quench their thirst with something other than water in today's world, the number one beverage of choice is energy drinks. Researchers at Piper Sandler say that thirty nine percent of respondents choose energy drinks over coffee, which is number one for thirty one percent, and soda, which is number one for thirty percent. Yes, our kids love their caffeinated beverages. But since we are called by God to steward our kids' physical well-being, we should be aware of what one Texas cardiologist, Dr. Ravi Ashwarth, is saying. He's seeing more kids who use these drinks coming in with heart palpitations, anxiety, chest pains, and shortness of breath. He gives us this directive: “energy should not come from the can. It should come from health.”

Some new research reported in the World Journal of Pediatrics offers some compelling data regarding the connection between the borders and boundaries put on screen time use, and a child's video gaming behavior. Researchers found that greater screen time on the part of parents, combined with the habits of allowing screen use at meals and in the bedroom, and using screens to manage behavior, was linked to some concerning outcomes in the lives of their kids. What were these concerning outcomes?Kids raised in these kinds of homes showed a higher level of later use of mature-related games, problematic video game use, and greater amounts of weekend gaming time. We shouldn't be surprised that our screen-time borders and boundaries, or lack thereof, influences our child's behavior. Parents, we are called to lead our kids to spiritual maturity. Take stock of the example you are giving, make changes, and prepare your child for a lifetime of flourishing in their faith.

Last year, the Gallup organization released the results of their latest American Values Index. Respondents were given a list of twenty-three values and were asked to choose all of those values that were important to them. Finishing at the top of the list were family, with forty nine percent placing that as most important, and Freedom, with thirty-percent placing that at number one. Rounding out the top ten in this order following family and freedom, were health, integrity, faith, trustworthiness, happiness, respect, kindness, and knowledge. It's encouraging to see these results. The key, however, to bearing fruit from these values is that we choose to prioritize and functionally live out the values we say that we hold. As Christians, we know the family is a creational institution, established by God, as one male and one female enter into a covenantal marriage, then bearing the fruit of children. Parents, spend time with your kids, and diligently nurture them in the faith.

All this week we've been looking at some great quotes that help us to look deeply into who we are and how our culture has shaped us and our kids. Here's quote from C.S. Lewis: "If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world." These words are especially helpful as we live in a  materialistic, market-driven world. With our teenagers seeing thousands of marketing messages a day, there's no doubt that many of those messages sink in, convincing them that their lives will be complete if they just make this one purchase, acquire this one thing, or get to experience this one great experience. Those who are older know what that's all about. We also know from experience that no matter what promises are made, they are never fulfilled. Lewis reminds us that we have been made by God and for a relationship with God. 

All this week we're looking at some great quotes that help us to look deeply into who we are and how our culture has shaped us and our kids. Here's one from writer G.K. Chesteron: “Christianity has died many times and risen again; for it had a God who knew the way out of the grave.” Chesterton's words hold true today in a cultural climate where the threats to deep and meaningful Christian faith run deep and wide. Researchers with the National Study of Youth and Religion are telling us that the shape of faith for Christian kids is anything but Christian. Researchers have labeled this faith “Moralistic, Therapeutic, Deism.” What this means it that kids believe their purpose in life is to be good and feel happy, and God exists to help make that happen whenever they decide they need him. Sadly, this is not Biblical faith. True biblical faith is that God has saved them, and that they exist to bring glory to Him.

All this week we're looking at some great quotes that help us to look deeply into who we are and how our culture has shaped us and our kids. Journalist Dorothy Day wrote these thought-provoking words: “If I have achieved anything in my life, it has been because I have not been embarrassed to talk about God.” Parents, how much time do you spend talking about God? And when you talk about God, what is it that you tell your kids? Research from the National Study of Youth And Religion points to the fact that America's teenagers and young adults have little or no knowledge about God. When asked to verbalize what they know about God, few have anything to say. Much of their confusion is rooted in the fact that there haven't been any adults committed to teaching them about who God is and who He's called them to be. Parents, study the Scriptures, know God, and teach your kids.

All this week we're looking at some great quotes that help us to look deeply into who we are and how our culture has shaped us and our kids. Here's one from C.S. Lewis: “A world of nice people, content in their own niceness, looking no further, turned away from God, would be just as desperately in need of salvation as a miserable world. . . and might even be more difficult to save.” What do Lewis's words have to do with today's youth culture? Sadly, research is pointing to the fact that many kids and adults – some who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ – believe that salvation depends not on the free grace and sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ, but on our works and living as a nice person. But the Scriptures are clear: our salvation is a free gift of God that depends on our trusting in him alone. Teach your kids the truth about the saving grace God shows to us, through his son, Jesus Christ.

Here's a thought-provoking quote that I recently ran across from Ralph Waldo Emerson - “A person will worship something, have no doubt about that. That which dominates our imaginations and our thoughts will determine our lives and our character. Therefore, it behooves us to be careful what we worship, for what we are worshipping we are becoming.” You may now be wondering why I would use time on a spot about today's youth culture to share an old quote from someone who's not living. Well, there's great wisdom in Emerson's words, wisdom that holds true for our kids and even ourselves as we live in today's world. You see, all kinds of potential idols jockey for our attention and allegiance. And even though we claim to be followers and worshippers of Jesus Christ, it's easy to slip into worship of something else. Take a look at your life. What do you worship? And what are you modeling for your kids? 

This is a big weekend for those of us living here in the United States. Tomorrow, we celebrate the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of our nation, or, what's called our Semiquincentennial. You've no doubt experienced the buildup and even some anniversary events, where the main theme of these celebrations is freedom. This weekend's events give us a great opportunity to teach our kids about true freedom, which is the freedom which comes through a relationship with Jesus Christ. Take some time to read and talk about John chapter eight, verses thirty one to thirty eight. This is where Jesus says, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth and truth will set you free. If the son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” True freedom is not the ability to do whatever we want whenever we want. True freedom comes when we are liberated from sin's power and penalty through the death of Christ on the cross, and living obediently to His glory!

One of the great responsibilities we have as parents raising kids in today's screen-saturated world is the prevention and treatment of what's now known as digital fatigue. Also known as “tech burnout”, digital fatigue occurs when the excessive use of digital devices like a smartphone and the constant connection to the online world becomes exhausting. We live in a world of over-stimulation, where notifications and other prompts continually increase screentime. What occurs is a multi-layered state of exhaustion that's mental, physical, emotional, and yes, spiritual. When screen time takes up most of our time, other important and noble pursuits fall by the wayside, including the time we should be spending in God's Word and prayer. In effect, our screens become idols. They don't give us life. Rather, they suck the life out of us. What we need to do is get our kids to tap-out from screen time, so that they can tap in to the gifts of Jesus Christ, God's Word, and sabbath.

The latest “State of Today's Family” report from Barna includes some interesting insights into how Gen Z is thinking about and practicing marriage. In the years since nineteen fifty, the average age of first marriage has increased by about eight years for both men and women. The average age now for men is thirty, and for women it's twenty-eight. They seem to be waiting longer in order to become more emotionally ready, more financially stable, and more certain of the long-term viability of the marriage. Gen Z is also the least likely generation to say that marriage is important for raising children, with only two-thirds agreeing. This research reminds us of the importance of teaching our kids about God's institution of marriage, equipping them to understand the importance of a covenantal commitment between one man and one woman, and that marriage has been ordained as the place for children to be born. Are you correcting the culture's script for marriage?

Recently, I was reading through a list of projected youth culture trends for 2026 published by the fashion media platform, Qui Talks. One trend that caught my eye is actually quite hopeful, and it's one that we should not only take note of, but work to facilitate. The Qui Talks site calls the trend “The Cozy Comeback”, explaining that it's all about a generation that increasingly finds itself burnt out and desiring a slower pace of life. The site tells us that young people are romanticizing rest – not as laziness, but as survival. In a youth culture world marked by anxiety, constant pressure, and ongoing stimulation, this is not at all surprising, after all, God made us for a rhythm of work and rest. What a great opportunity we have to introduce our kids to the restorative and God-ordained practice of sabbath. The translation of the Hebrew word for Sabbath is translated as “cease” or “desist”, which clearly reminds us of our need to rest. Start with one day, Sunday, to practice Sabbath.

Way back in the year 1750, the famous preacher and theologian Jonathan Edwards preached his farewell sermon in Northampton, Massachusetts. We all know that when people give their parting words, they say things that they deem of the utmost importance. Guidelines that they want to be remembered. Edwards spoke these words that have absolutely no expiration date: “Every Christian family ought to be as it were a little church, consecrated to Christ, and wholly influenced and governed by his rules. And family education and order are some of the chief means of grace. If these fail, all other means are likely to prove ineffectual.” Parents, do you hear what Edwards is telling us? In order to effectively pass on the faith, we must prioritize the Christian education of our children in the home. This means that we not only know and live out God's will and way for our lives ourselves, but we speak truth to our kids, and we do it all without ceasing. Are you committed to this in your home?

One of the most encouraging trends regarding kids and smartphones is the fact that a growing number of school districts are banning phone use and engagement during the school day. Some schools have installed cell phone lockers where kids place their phones at the beginning of the school day, and where they retrieve them when school lets out. Support for cellphone bans in school is on the rise among U.S. adults, with seventy-four percent saying they would support banning middle and high school students from using cellphones during class, and forty-four percent want them banned for the entire day. Researchers at the Pew Internet and Life Project tell us that now, forty-one percent of our thirteen to seventeen year olds support a ban during class time. Whether that number rises or not, it's important that we as adults instill and enforce borders and boundaries that help our kids remain safe. The Lord has called us to protect our kids from harm, and we must!

Now that I have grandkids entering their teenage years, I've got a front-row seat to see what's popular among kids, especially when it comes to shopping and spending money. In today's world, the top categories for teen spending are clothing and other accessories, food and snacks, entertainment and gaming, and experiences with friends, like concerts and other outings. Marketing's push for the maintenance of youthful beauty has our girls spending lots of money on make-up, hair care, and skin care. But don't count out our boys in this last category! Young Gen Z males are spending an average of three-hundred-twenty-four dollars a year on cosmetics, skin care, and fragrances. Because marketing effectively convinces our kids to spend, spend, and spend some more, we need to ramp up our efforts to teach biblical principles on stewardship. In First Timothy six seventeen, we are reminded to not put our hope in wealth, but to put our hope in God. Teach your kids to spend wisely.

When Kentucky mother Holly LaFavers looked at a charge that popped up on her bank account, she panicked. What she found was a Forty-two-hundred dollar charge. Upon further investigation she discovered that her eight-year-old son Liam had ordered seventy thousand dum dum lollipops from Amazon when using her phone. And yes, Liam did it all on purpose as he wanted to share them with his friends. Holly LaFavers was unable to get Amazon to refund her money, so she spread the word in her community about the cases of Dum Dums and was able to sell them to friends and neighbors. Eventually, Amazon stepped up and offered a refund. While the story does put a smile on our faces as we think about well-intentioned Liam, it reminds us that there are times when a phone in the hands of an eight-year-old is risky business. This time, the story turned out ok, but we need to be careful as our kids can see and hear dangerous things. Parents, be diligent with your kids.

If you've got any suspicions that social media is increasing the body image pressures our kids feel, your suspicions are correct. An internal study conducted by Meta, the parent company of Instagram, found that the algorithms were pointing users who already have body image concerns to a disproportionate amount of “eating disorder adjacent” content, which is feeding the pressure these kids already feel over their bodies. In fact, as a result of these algorithmic content feeds, kids with existing body image concerns were being exposed to ten point five percent of their total content being related to body image. For those users who were content with their bodies were seeing only three point three percent of their total content being related to body image. The point here is this: social media algorithms are throwing fuel on the body dysmorphia problem. We need to push back by helping them understand that their identity is not in what they look like. 

Are your kids cheating in school? Have you talked to them about what it means to honor the Lord in their academic pursuits? You might be surprised to learn that according to the International Center for Academic Integrity, a survey of over seventy thousand high school students found that ninety-five percent of students admitted to some form of cheating. Sixty four percent admitted to cheating on a test. And, fifty-eight percent admitted to plagiarism. I've been hearing reports from teachers on how students are cheating these days. Some students take audio notes of test questions immediately after leaving an exam, and then share the audio notes with other students. One report said that a student had a cheat sheet attached to the bottom of his Croc. In Colossians three twenty three we read, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for me.” Teach your kids to embrace academic integrity as they study to build their minds, and faithfully serve the Lord.

On this weekend when we look forward to celebrating Father's Day, I want to remind the fathers who are listening of their greatest responsibility in life. In Ephesians six four we read this: “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” If we are taking the time to carefully, diligently, and correctly teach the Word of God to our children, we will have fulfilled our highest calling as parents. Writing back in eighteen eighty three, English pastor Robert William Dale has this word for dads that still rings true today. “Parents should care more for the loyalty of their children to Christ than anything besides, more for this than for their health, their intellectual vigor and brilliance, their material prosperity, their social position, and their exemptions from great sorrows and great misfortunes.” Dad, on this weekend when you are celebrated, ask the Lord to lead you into how to best lead your kids.

In a recent interview with NPR about her new book, “Dopamine Kids”, Dr. Michealeen Doucleff, spoke about the tricks and tools that tech companies use to hijack the brains and dopamine systems of our kids. Her book offers up a science-based plan to rewire the brains of our kids, which have been captured by screens. Doucleff tells us that these tricks and tools have been developed and utilized by the gambling industry. But during the 2000s, the tools were adapted by developers to be used in social media and gaming platforms. This is all done as a strategy to keep our kids tethered to their devices, a strategy that we know is working when our kids protest our removal of screens from their hands. Doucleff says that the games and apps are designed to give kids the feeling that their fundamental needs and desires are being met, by releasing dopamine into their brains. As Christians, we know that the greatest need and longing existing in our kids can only be met through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

In the past, we've issued warnings about how kids are consulting with non-human AI chatbots online to get advice on all sorts of things, including mental health issues. The trend is dangerous, as so many of the news and research reports are now telling us. A new peer-reviewed study published on PubMed reports on how these AI chatbots are responding to the questions kids ask about appearance, body image, weight, eating, and diet. The responses reveal that chatbots are providing answers that lean into cultural standards for eating, thinness, and appearance, rather than pointing kids to safe dietary practices. There are legitimate concerns regarding the impact of these answers on kids, particularly the very real possibility of encouraging issues related to body dysmorphia and disordered eating. Parents, we need to set the table for our kids to come to us with these questions by fostering strong relationships that will result in our ability to give biblically-faithful answers to all of their questions.

In First John two sixteen we read these words: “For all that is in the world – the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life – is not from the Father but is from the world.” Those words offer some great directives related to how we present ourselves on social media. I got to thinking about that when I read this directive in a recent edition of TableTalk magazine: “Selfish pride is the antithesis of humility and is the way of the world. If we seek to exalt ourselves at the expense of others, we will produce only strife, and we will not enjoy a lasting exaltation anyway. But if we humble ourselves, God will exalt us.” John Calvin chimes in with this: ‘We emulate and envy, because we desire to be eminent. This is a way wholly unreasonable, for it is God's peculiar work to raise up the lowly, and especially those who humble themselves.” Parents, all of us, especially our kids, are encouraged to trumpet ourselves. Teach your kids to glorify God in all things, rather than themselves.

The structure, complexity, and functioning of the human brain gives glory to God, our Creator! With the advancements being made in brain scans, researchers are seeing just how incredibly magnificent the human brain really is. Recent findings indicate that the brain changes its wiring of neural circuits over the course of our lives. The phase of change known as adolescence kicks off around age nine, and then continues until around the age of thirty-two. While the bodies of our children and teens reach maturity during the teenage years, we have to understand that the brain is not yet fully formed. The last part to develop is the frontal lobe, which is responsible for decision-making and impulse control. Understanding this reality allows us to more fully understand our kids. This should not excuse poor decision-making or behavior during the teen years, but it does explain it. It should also motivate us to fulfill our God-given role to nurture them in the discipline and admonition of the Lord. 

Eric Liddell, the subject of the movie “Chariots of Fire” came to mind recently as I read a news story about a decision made by a 16-year-old teenager from Satellite Beach, Florida. Liddell, a devout Christian, chose not to run his 100 meter heats in the 1924 Olympics because they were being held on a Sunday. Last fall, high school swimmer Michael Alexander Shapira, gave up his place in the Florida 2A state championship meet because the event was set to begin on sundown Friday, which is the start of the Jewish Sabbath. A devout Jew, Shapira received pressure from his coach and teammates to change his mind. Shapira said this: “When you sanctify God's name in public, you show the world what it means to live with faith. This isn't about what I want. It's about who I am.” In February, Shapira was named International Jewish Teen of the Year. Parents, how easily we sacrifice our Sabbath and Sunday worship for youth sports. What are you teaching your kids?

During the months of spring and early summer, suicide attempts among young people tend to rise. Pastoral Counselor Karen Mason offers some great advice on how to interact with a person who you think might be experiencing depression and considering suicide. She says that our job is to recognize when a situation is serious and to take action according to the seriousness of the crisis. Listen non-judgmentally to the person at risk. Become familiar with the suicide risk factors and warning signs. . . a list of which can be found on our website at cpyu.org. Mason says that the best way to assess the seriousness of a situation is to ask the person at risk. As uncomfortable as it may be to ask the person directly, it is the best way to determine risk. In fact, asking directly can create relief for a suicidal person who may have no other idea about how to start a conversation. There is no evidence that asking puts the thought of suicide in a person's mind. So ask. You might be saving a life.

One of the great concerns regarding the growing presence and use of Artificial Intelligence has been labeled as “surveillance capitalism” by writer Shoshana Zuboff. Zuboff defines surveillance capitalism as a system that claims human experience as free raw material for translation into behavioral data. AI takes this raw material, analyzes it, and then harnesses it to nudge, coax, tune, and herd behavior toward profitable outcomes. As it relates to your kids, think of it this way. They spend lots of time online, becoming addicted to social media platforms designed to addict them. Data on their online behavior is consistently collected, as they are being watched. Profiles of your kids are then created from that data, and then sold to companies and marketers who want to reach them with something to sell. In other words, the online attention of our kids is being commodified, which in turn commodifies our kids. Parents, this is just one more caution you need to heed.

Becky Kennedy and Sheryl Zielger are both psychologists who are raising teenagers themselves. I discovered their names in an article they had written for CNBC's online site. The article's title caught my eye: “If you want to raise stronger, more independent kids, give them this: They need it now more than ever say psychologists.” Kennedy and Ziegler cit how many parents today are so filled with the fear of doing something wrong, that they try not to push too hard or enforce too many rules, assuming that doing so might push their kids into stress, anxiety, and a host of other mental health issues. But the two tell us that this is NOT what our kids need. Rather, what our kids need is for us to boldy claim – and in some cases reclaim – our parental authority. They say that now more than ever need us to offer up a safe system, a structure where we are in control. As Christian parents, we know from reading Scripture that this is our responsibility. But are we exercising our God-given authority?

The word “precocious” comes from the Latin word that is translated as “to ripen before.” In our day and age, the word precocious is used to describe something that develops early or before the usual time. We often pair precocious with the word puberty to describe the process of physical maturation in children long before the average age of onset. Now, the word precocious is being coupled with the word love, with precocious love referring to the intense romantic, emotional, and deep attachments kids are forming during their childhood and before adolescence. With research showing that dating breakups among teenagers lead to a greater incidence of suicidal thoughts and actions, we must be concerned for our younger kids who are at an even greater risk if a so-called break-up occurs. We need to be diligent in teaching our kids to prioritize their relationship to the Lord first, knowing that only He can fill the relational hole that so many try to fill with a significant other.

In a recent article in ByFaith magazine, author Katie Polski share three things that each of us needs to keep in mind as we seek to raise our children to love the church. First, Katie tells us that it all begins at home. She writes, “If we want our families to love what Jesus loves, our children need more than occasional or vague spiritual intentions.” Because they learn from what they see in us, our kids need parents who delight in being a part of the gathered people of God. Second, Katie tells us that raising church-loving kids will happen when we are regularly and consistently involved in the life of our church. She reminds us that while it is important to start early when they are young, it's never too late for you to commit to your church. And third, Katie tells us we need to be talking about faith all week, looking for those teachable moments to show our kids how the Christian faith speaks to all of life. Parents, you are the one primarily responsible for the spiritual nurture of your kids.

As our children enter the teenage years, more and more of their world begins to revolve around their peer group. While parents remain important and influential, our kids look increasingly to their peers for clues on what to believe, how to behave, and what to do in order to fit in. New research from Florida Atlantic University has found that different types of peers influence different aspects of a teenager's life. There are two specific groups of peers exerting influence. Researchers foundone's best friends shape a child's emotional state and academic behavior. They also found that the larger group of more popular peers exert an influence on how a child presents themselves in public and on social media. This reminds us that we need to be encouraging and making possible  for our kids Godly friendships that are positive. A good youth group situation can become a positive peer group, where not only is God's design for their lives taught, but practiced as well. 

Parents, think of the brains of your children and teens like you think about your email accounts. If you are like me, your email box is pounded with more junk, spam, scams, and phishing schemes than legitimate, trustworthy, and truthful communication. I hope that as we've become more experienced we've learned how to recognize, block, and delete all the garbage that floods our inboxes literally hour-by-hour. Wisdom and discernment lead us to separate the good from the bad, saving us from wasting time, effort, money, and even our very lives on things that will undo us. To protect them from passively loading their brains with the bad stuff, we need to run interference for our kids by limiting and monitoring their screen-time And, we must fill their brains with the Truth that brings life and by which all things can be evaluated. Train them to embrace and practice biblical wisdom and discernment. Equip them to live now and for the rest of their lives to the glory and honor of Jesus Christ!

I was recently reading about the Old Testament king of Judah named Asa. In Second Chronicles two, verses two to four, we read this about King Asa: “He took away foreign altars and the high places and broke down the pillars and cut down the Asherim and commanded Judah to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, and to keep the law and the commandment.” Asa was commended as a leader who did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord. As I read, I was struck by the fact that Asa modeled what it means for us as parents and youth workers to lead our children and teens well. We live in a world full of idols. As parents, we are given a unique position, responsibility, and opportunity to lead our kids into God's Word, teaching them how to recognize and tear down idols, while fostering their love for the One true God. Parents, teach your kids to tear down the idols that are derailing them from seeking the Lord and keeping His commandments. This is your high calling. 

As parents, we are called to be diligent about monitoring the attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, and health of our children and teens. One recent study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association reports on one type of behavior that we to be aware of, and which requires our intervention. The behavior is self-injury. Non-suicidal self-injury is the act of harming your own body on purpose, such as cutting or burning yourself as a way to cope with stress, sadness, emotional pain, and anger. The study reports that self-injury has been on the rise among children and adolescents, at about a three-point-five percent rate since two thousand. It is more prevalent among our girls, and self-injury has been reported in ten percent of our youth. Parents, if you discover that your child is engaged in self-injury, seek the help of a qualified and experienced Christian counselor. We want our kids to learn to run to Jesus Christ, the Great Physician, when life becomes overwhelming.

All this week we've been looking at AI and the potential role it will play in the lives of our children and teens. Specifically, were looking at some conclusions made by the Brookings Institution and their new report titled, “A New Direction for Students in an AI World: Prosper, Prepare, Protect.” The report issues a clear warning regarding the implementation of AI into our lives, that we need to protect our kids by intentionally and carefully developing and implementing safeguards for its use. These safeguards must address issues of privacy, emotional well-being, and safety, along with protecting our kids' cognitive and social development. The report also tells us in no uncertain terms, that parents need to manage their children's use of AI in the home. Parents, we live in a world where the potential dangers no longer exist only outside the walls of our homes. Thanks to digital technology, the dangers exist 24/7. Exercise your God-given calling to insure your kids are safe.

All this week we're looking at AI and the potential role it will play in the lives of our children and teens. Specifically, were looking at some conclusions made by the Brookings Institution and their new report titled, “A New Direction for Students in an AI World: Prosper, Prepare, Protect.” One of the main conclusions offered in the report meshes well with God's calling on our lives to pursue what is good, true, and beautiful. That conclusion is that we must do the hard and intentional work of preparing ourselves to integrate and use AI ethically, effectively, and humanely in our schools, homes, churches, and lives. Specifically, the folks at Brookings are warning us that if we use AI to undermine our human agency, allowing it to do all the work for us, we are in effect sacrificing our humanity. From a Christian perspective, that's a road we cannot go down. We have been created by God to image God. That means that we are to manage AI, rather than letting AI take over and manage us.

All this week we're looking at AI and the potential role it will play in the lives of our children and teens. Specifically, were looking at some conclusions made by the Brookings Institution and their new report titled, “A New Direction for Students in an AI World: Prosper, Prepare, Protect.” The report says that if our kids are going to prosper, we must deliberately focus on using AI in ways that advance, rather than undermine the educational process and the well-being of our kids. One recommendation is for parents to work with educators to develop the best practices for implementing AI cautiously into the educational experience. Specifically, we should only use AI tools that teach, not tell. This is most important in a world where more and more of our kids are going to AI to bypass the work of solving problems, writing papers, and doing research. As Christians, we know that God wants us to use our brains to his glory. Teach your kids to use AI as an appropriate help, not as a substitute brain. 

All this week we're looking at AI and the potential role it will play in the lives of our children and teens. Specifically, were looking at some conclusions made by the Brookings Institution in their new report titled, “A New Direction for Students in an AI World: Prosper, Prepare, Protect.” The report offers a framework for schools and families to consider related to their main findings on AI. Researchers looked at potential negative risks, along with how to prevent those risks while maximizing the potential benefits of AI. Researchers are telling us as parents, educators, and youth workers to be very careful and to move slowly, as the risks of AI overshadow the benefits. They report that AI can enrich the learning experience when safety guardrails are erected and caution is taken to ensure that AI content is accurate. In addition, over-reliance on AI can put our children's learning capacity, relationships, and well-being at risk. Parents, exercise oversight and caution.

Recently, I ate a spicy meal of a food I had never had before. It tasted good going down, and in the moment I believed I had discovered something wonderful that I would look forward to having again. Then, during the night, my body began sending signals that the food wasn't sitting well in my belly. I wound up being okay, but the experience did make me think differently about eating that food again. You've had this same experience, I'm sure, and when you have it, your realize that we don't know what a new food will do to us until we add it to our diet. Since the advent of all the digital technologies and screens that now are part of our diet, we are able to look back and see where they've done us good, and where they've upset our human flourishing. Since AI, or artificial intelligence, is now a part of our lives and something we can add to our digital diet, we need to exercise caution in how we use it, and how much we use it. Join us tomorrow and all this week as we look more closely at AI. 

Parents, are you keeping an eye on your teenagers who are now driving? Recent research from the University of Michigan's C.S. Mott Hospital polled parents on the driving behaviors of their kids, and found that risky driving behaviors are quite common. Seventeen percent of parents have observed their kids engaging in what's called impaired driving, which includes driving while sleepy, emotionally upset, or after drinking alcohol or using marijuana. Twenty-five percent of parents have observed their kids engage in distracted driving, which includes texting and multi-tasking. This would include those who put on makeup while driving. Finally, forty-four percent of parents have observed their kids engaging in what's called aggressive driving, which includes speeding, tail-gating, and road rage. Parents, we encourage you to not only monitor your kids and how they drive so that you can intervene when necessary, to teach your kids that as with all things, they are to drive to the glory of God.

When the internet, smartphones, and gaming devices were relatively new, experts were unwilling to label habitual use of these digital tools as addiction. But now that they've been around for some time, experts are able to look not only at the anecdotal evidences of digital device addiction, but a growing amount of data that supports how habit-forming these things are. The journal Frontiers in Psychology is reporting on research telling us that excessive engagement in digital activities has been shown to result in negative effects on physical health, mental health, academic performance, occupational functioning, and interpersonal social skills. The researchers are saying that digital addiction's impact on our kids is similar in scope to that of anxiety and depression. Parents, we have been called to protect our kids from harm and to provide for their well-being. Don't introduce screens too early, and when you do, set and enforce boundaries and limits.

If you pay any attention at all to the changes taking place in youth culture, you will be sure to encounter words and terms occasioned by the new pressures, problems, challenges, and opportunities facing our kids as they grow up in today's world. One of those terms that should cause us to wake up and take notice is this: nudification tools. These tools take the form of artificial intelligence- powered apps that allow users to upload a picture of a person, then hit a button to create sexualized images, typically nude photos. A new study from George Mason University has found that the use of these nudification tools which have historically been used by more boys than girls, are now being used by girls at the same rate as teenage boys. Researchers found that roughly one in six teen girls and boys used nudification tools frequently to see how they looked. Nudification is becoming normalized for our kids. Parents, warn your kids about the moral, relational, and spiritual issues related to this troubling trend.

Over the course of the last few years I've been thinking more and more about the powerful role that grandparents play in the lives of their grandchildren. If you're a grandparent, perhaps you've already verbalized what most grandparents think: that the world has changed so much that it is increasingly difficult for kids to grow through adolescence and into adulthood without cuts, bruises, and scars. Maybe you've even said, “I'm glad I'm not raising kids in today's world.” Yes, it's difficult for kids. But if you're a grandparent I want to encourage you to not give up, to not feel powerless, or to fall into the trap of feeling like your influence is not important. There is a powerful role that you can and must play. Research shows that the most resilient kids are those who have parents, grandparents, and other adults in their lives who endeavor to talk about and model what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. Grandparents, you do matter and make a difference!

Recently, I was watching one of those videos where a man was running a large sieve through the sand at a beach, to find coins, jewelry, and other treasures. At one point he pulled his sieve up out of the sand , finding a red iPod that had been lost for who knows how long. Perhaps sometime during or after 2001, you had purchased and were using your own ipod, which at the time was a cutting edge piece of technology. Since twenty-five years have passed and technology has advanced, you might think that the beachcomber would have thrown away that find. But he didn't. Now, younger generations are flocking to ebay and other sites to purchase the device which as of 2022, had been discontinued. Why is this happening? Not only is there a surge of nostalgia for the ipod in today's youth culture, but users are saying that by listening to music on an ipod and not a phone, there are no notification distractions. Could it be that our kids are longing for the relative quiet we once knew?

Since we're currently in the midst of wedding season, there's a good chance you've been invited and will attend the wedding of a young couple you know. As Christians living in a world where marriage is no longer held up as a sacred thing, it's always good, beautiful, and refreshing to see a couple covenant together before God in marriage. As with most wedding receptions these days, you might see the couple choreograph and carefully perform an elaborate dance at the start of the reception. I don't know about you, but it's hard to not rejoice at the looks on their faces as they focus their eyes on each other, smiling with joy in anticipation of their life together. Of course, this only the first day of the life they anticipate living together. But like all newly married couples, they have no idea what they are dancing into. Parents, we need to instruct our children in the fact that marital love is a commitment to with God's help, stick together through the good and the bad of life. 

Let me make a very direct statement here regarding some of the ridiculous decisions parents are making regarding their kids and youth sports: Parents, we are losing our minds! I'm speaking specifically about the high cost of travel tournaments that are publicized in ways that make you feel like your kid is really, really privileged and special in ways that get us to miss the fact that these tournaments are taking big bucks out of your pockets and putting them in the pockets of the tournament organizers. Case in point: If you are invited to have your twelve and under baseball player go to play in the Cooperstown All-Star Village Invitational Tournament this summer in New York, it will cost about thirteen hundred dollars per player, plus travel. If an average family of three decides to go along, there will be about four thousand dollars of additional costs for travel, food, and lodging. Parents, are you spending your time and money wisely? And, what are you teaching your kids?

I recently had a college professor tell me about an assignment he gave to his class, as they were in the midst of studying anxiety. “I want you to put your phones aside for three days”, he said. “Do not look at them or use them. And, do not lie to me.” One student came to him after class to protest. “I hate this assignment!”, she said. This was a young lady who, like many of her classmates, was struggling to navigate her own battle with anxiety. Still, she took the challenge and came back to him after three days and told him this: “On day one, I was miserable and hated it. Day two was a bit easier. On day three I discovered what it was that was making me anxious.” This student's experience is one that more and more young people are having as they muster up the courage to detach from their phones to see what might happen. In a world where our kids are tethered and addicted to their devices, they need parents who will set and enforce clear borders and boundaries that in the end, advance their flourishing.

There's a prayer in the Anglican Church of North America's “Book of Common Prayer” that I found very helpful during this year's Lenten Season. It is one of the prayers to be prayed during the Sunday's leading up to Easter, this one specifically for the fifth Sunday in lent. What I love about this prayer is its recognition of the issues we and our kids face as a result of living in a rapidly changing world that is in so many ways opposed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Let me suggest that you pray this prayer for your kids and family. Here is that prayer: "Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of this world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen."

Yesterday we celebrated Mother's Day. As Christians, this day should bring to mind the fifth commandment, which reads, “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” Over 40 years ago, Dr. John Huffman wrote this about the 5th commandment in his book, “Liberating Limits: “God pity the society led by brash young people who have the answers but very little respect for their elders. Anarchy comes quickly. Allow young people to be alienated from their parents and you'll observe a nation drift into moral and social anarchy. Family life is crucial to a healthy society. Children who grab hold of the household reins, pushing their parents aside, inflict a serious damage on a society. Young people who grow up without subjection to authority are programming themselves for unhappiness. A society as well as an individual pays an enormous price for weakening the honor paid to fathers and mothers.”