The Teen's Guide to Face-to-Face Connections in a Screen-to-Screen World by Jonathan McKee

Author:Jonathan McKee [McKee, Jonathan; McKee, Alyssa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781643528229
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2020-09-15T00:00:00+00:00

Perhaps you see the metaphor I’m heading toward… .

Our screens can be fun and helpful when they are used responsibly, but screens can literally ruin lives when used irresponsibly. The repercussions of irresponsible screen use can be like a fire burning out of control.

I probably witness the negative aftereffects firsthand more than most people because I’m the guy they call after an “incident” that began with a screen. These incidents often start when someone hits POST without thinking twice about the ramifications.

I’m the one who speaks at a school after a young girl commits suicide when her ex-boyfriend sends a revealing pic of her to pretty much the entire school. I’m the one parents consult when their son becomes so addicted to screens that he begins sneaking screen time, until Dad finally happens to see a light under his door at 2:00 a.m. and let’s just say both are surprised when Dad opens the door and sees what’s on his screen. Or sadly when a young girl ignores all safety precautions, meets a guy on her favorite app, a guy she thought went to the local high school but turns out not to be a high school kid at all, which she doesn’t discover until the guy’s favorite “uncle” picks her up in his car … but there is no kid and there is no uncle—the “kid” was the uncle all along, and the rest of the story is horrific. (True story. Read that again if you must and let that one sink in for a moment.)

Screens can be fun when we use them responsibly.

Screens are dangerous and can damage our relationships with the people we care about when we use them irresponsibly.

Really it comes down to a little thing called self-control. Sometimes our screens will tempt us to look at inappropriate entertainment or engage with destructive influences. These are fires waiting to burn out of control. God’s Word warns us to avoid these kinds of influences:

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age. (Titus 2:11–12 NIV)

Screens can open up doors to all kinds of “worldly passions.” I probably don’t need to give you examples, because you already know exactly what I’m talking about. And all of them can lead to hurt.

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