Key Questions: Dad, why does it matter what I watch?
1. Practically, how should I decide what to let my kids watch?
Every parent will need to make this decision not only for their family, but also for each of their kids.
Media affects each of us differently.
Brett McCracken, an insightful gospel-centered media critic, provides a helpful list of general principles (read the full explanations of each here).
Vet the values, not just the rating.
Listen to parents, leaders, and critics you trust.
Distinguish between ‘not safe, but good’ and ‘safe, but not good.’
‘Educational’ content is not automatically good for your kid.
Steer your kid toward content that sparks curiosity.
Steer your kid toward content that cultivates love for God and people.
Don’t let the algorithm pick for your kid.
Assess your child’s age and maturity.
Find content you can enjoy together.
Limit screen time.
2. I don’t have time to pre-watch and analyze the messages in everything my kids want to watch; are there any resources that can help?
Yes!
Focus on the Family’s site Plugged In has reviews of movies, TV shows, books, and even YouTube channels.
It doesn’t merely count up swear words; it analyzes the messages being conveyed.
Not only can you use it to determine whether to allow your kid to watch a movie, you can get guidance for a good conversation analyzing the movie’s message.
Other sites, like Common Sense Media and MovieGuide provide summaries of positive and negative elements of shows and movies, but without the depth of analysis of the relationship between their messages and the gospel.
As they get older, involve your kids, having them do the research and make a case for what they want to watch (Jasmine Holmes).
3. What about how much I let my kids watch? Can you help me settle “the great screen time debate” in my household?
No, sorry. Parents will be wrestling with their kids over screen time until the screens disappear because chips are implanted in our brains.
However, Josh Squires provides some helpful principles drawn from the book of Proverbs to guide your approach with your kids.
Laziness—maximum pleasure for minimum effort—is older than the Bible (see the “sluggard” in Proverbs), and screen time reflects this for both our kids and us.
Evaluate your goals in letting your kids have (limited) screen time: it can teach them valuable lessons in responsibility and self-control, teaching them to guard their eyes, appetites, and hearts.
Eyes: Only watch content that is appropriate.
Kids should watch with others around and demonstrate that they can distinguish between appropriate and inappropriate content before being allowed to select their own shows.
Appetite: Set appropriate limits on the amount of content.
Help your kids set clear boundaries and then stick to them consistently.
Heart: Watch for unhealthy connection to content.
Monitor closely the effect screen time is having on your kids’ emotions, especially “irritability, trouble sleeping, obsessive thoughts, decreased interest in other recreational activities, willingness to skip meals, and/or increased relational difficulties.”
If they struggle to control their emotions when it’s time to turn the screens off, help them see the power the content is getting over them, and teach them the value of resisting it.
