Social Media Time Limits

Social Media Time Limits

Apps, Hazards, Tutorials
"I can't believe how much time I waste on Facebook," a friend told me. "I really should just get rid of it." My friend isn't alone. Plenty of people feel they get little value out of social media, and yet they continue to use it more than they would like, often to the detriment of their productivity and their mental and spiritual well-being. Facebook isn't the only offender. People throw their hands up at Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and other apps and websites all the time. Still, not everyone wants to quit social media for good. If you're not willing to quit cold turkey, you can limit the amount of time you spend on social media per day. For example: "I'll spend no more than 10 minutes per day on Facebook," or…
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Socializing Online

Socializing Online

Apps, Hazards
Chatting with a few friends on Messenger or What’s App isn’t a harmless way to pass the time. Right?  Look at that question from another perspective: Meeting with other friends at one of their homes for a few hours to talk isn’t a harmless way to pass the time. Right? Does one of those questions strike a chord with you more than the other? That could depend on your age. It could depend on what generation you were born in. It could also depend on how you were raised and what you learned as you grew up. As the generation of adults who grew up without the internet ages, the generation of children who grow up knowing nothing but a screen in the face ages as well. We see it…
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“Sticks and Stones…”

“Sticks and Stones…”

Hazards
“Sticks and Stones…” We are most likely familiar with the phrase “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me”.  However, is this really true? For anyone who has been on the receiving end of bullying, or even a scathing reproach, know how deep words can cut and  hurt the heart. Bullying in the ‘Sticks and Stones’ era, typically started when a child stepped onto the bus, endured during the school day, ended as the bus pulled back into the driveway.  For today's teens, or older ones, bullying has broadened its aching wounds. It can now be a constant bullying via electronic devices that can be left on 24/7.  Cyberbullying or cyberharassment is a form of bullying or harassment using electronic means, also known as online…
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Sexting

Sexting

Guidelines, Hazards
A recent survey found that at least one in four teens receive sexually explicit texts and emails. At least one in seven teens send "sexts." Why do they do it? To show off, to entice someone, to show interest in someone, or to prove commitment. Or even as a joke. Teens' developing interest in sex, an impulse to experiment, and apps that make sexting easy -- and acceptable -- create an environment that some teens find irresistible. The attached article and video highlights these common causes of sexting and gives parents some advice on how to handle this potential problem with your children.  At a minimum, the Modern Media committee recommends the following: Communicate with your children, early and often, about the sin and dangers of sexting Don’t allow apps…
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The Negative Effects of Technology on Childhood Behavior

The Negative Effects of Technology on Childhood Behavior

Guidelines, Hazards
The Negative Effects of Technology on Childhood Behavior Almost every child in America right now has grown up in a world doused with technology. We’ve all heard the common concerns about how this affects a child’s upbringing—eyesight, attention span, emotional safety, personal boundaries, etc.—but fewer people recognize the effect technology has on behavior.Not only does it affect the behavior of children, but it also affects the behavior of adults, which, in turn, changes the parenting and teaching that children experience.  Read the Article
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Five Most Dangerous Places for Kids to be Online

Five Most Dangerous Places for Kids to be Online

Guidelines, Hazards
Where Kids Use Tech Dictates How They Use Tech It’s impossible for parents to control all of the doorways that exist for a child to access the web. Creating an internet safety strategy for home is one thing, but how many other ways exist for your child to watch YouTube without you knowing? Although parents can’t control all of the environments where their kids spend time, there are a few high-risk environments that warrant more attention. Read the Article
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Online TV

Online TV

Editorials, Hazards
Do we have TV in our homes?We probably do, or we are closer than we know.  We don't have the box our forefathers banned, but we do have the content readily available at our finger tips with TV online.   Link to article
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Digital Addiction

Digital Addiction

Hazards
“Son won't turn off his video game? Daughter obsessed with ‘likes’ on Instagram? It may not be entirely their fault. Like the high-octane sugar in a pint of Ben & Jerry's and that irresistible chemical spice in Flamin' Hot Cheetos, the ingredients in social media, video games, apps, and other digital products are carefully engineered to keep you coming back for more.” Common Sense Media has recently published an article describing the science behind digital addiction.  Please read and ponder how this may be affecting you and your family members…  The article includes some helpful tips to manage the “tricks” that are built into these digital products.  (Note - there are references to specific social media examples that we do not endorse) Link to Article *Please note, that although we have…
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