Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Teens, Social Media, and Relationships. . . .

Here's a little infographic from a new bit of research from Common Sense Media. The report is entitled Social Media, Social Life: How Teens View Their Digital Lives. Give the infographic a look. Read the report.

I'm wondering. . . What does this data mean for us as parents? As youth workers? Is there anything to be happy about? To lament? What's a gospel-centered response?







Sunday, June 24, 2012

What the Sandusky Story Means to Youth Workers. . .


My good friend Marv Penner wrote this timely guest post. Sadly, this is the world we live in and we need to be ready to respond. The Jerry Sandsuky case has sparked all kinds of discussions and reactions. As youth workers, we need to be ready when kids come to us to ask for help. Thanks Marv, for helping us help kids.

Childhood sexual abuse….a subject that has typically been shrouded in secrecy, silence, and shame has been suddenly thrust into our collective consciousness. The perpetrator-a beloved and benevolent community leader. The victims–kids hungry for relationship…trusting, and innocent. Sexual abuse of children continues to occur at an alarming rate and for at least this moment in time we can’t pretend it doesn’t. As men and women who care for young people we have no choice but to pause and ask ourselves why and how we ought to respond.

The crippling outcomes of sexual abuse are well documented and were powerfully illustrated in the testimonies of the eight courageous young men who were willing to expose their deepest wounds in front of the world. Deep feelings of betrayal, powerlessness, personal defectiveness, sexual confusion, and abandonment are further complicated by the belief that justice is impossible. This story demonstrates that at least at some level justice can be done, although the wounds of sexual abuse are so deep that true justice is an impossibility. Nothing will ever make it go away! As the mother of "Victim 6" said after the verdict was read, "We all lost."

There is so much to say, but let me give you some immediate and practical insights to consider.

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Jerry Sandusky, Sexual Abuse, and Nurturing More of the Same. . .

I've been trying to figure out what it is about this case that's played so much with my thoughts and emotions. Perhaps it was the fact that Jerry Sandusky was known in our commonwealth and community as someone who really cared about and looked out for kids. He had spoken with great passion at a fund-raiser for our local Christian youth center. Maybe it was the fact that I had been impressed with his Second Mile foundation and the work it was doing on behalf of kids who needed advocates and help. There was the time in 1999 when I met and chatted briefly with Sandusky at his football camp for middle school players. My son was attending the camp. The photo of my son and a smiling Sandusky is now a bit creepy. And then there's the way people here worship Penn State football and everything/everyone that goes with it.

Before turning the lights out last night I spent some time watching the online feed from the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte, PA. The verdict had been handed down. The image I can't get out of my mind is the one of Sandusky being helped into the police cruiser and driven off, most likely never to see freedom again. It was difficult to fall asleep as worked to rewind the whole thing in my mind, wondering where, when, and how Jerry Sandusky's relationships with kids went from healthy and wholesome (if that was indeed ever the case) to horribly sick and twisted.

As we sort through the mess and fallout of this case, here are some initial things to think about. . .

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Heartbreaking. . . .

This speaks for itself. We have our work cut out for us. Makes me grateful for all the people doing youth ministry in our world.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Taylor Swift and Good Sense. . . .

Last night I caught the tail end of this re-broadcast of the Tayor Swift interview from last fall. Fascinating stuff. Pay attention around 12 minutes in. There's some good stuff and good sense that Swift communicates at that point. It's worth watching.

Monday, June 11, 2012

I Miss This Guy. . . .

Thanks to the folks at PBS Digital Studios, Fred Rogers is back. I realize how much I miss him. . . and how much I miss the times that he represents. Children's television programming used to be more balanced, restrained, responsible, and thoughtful. By and large, today's children have no idea who this man was. Sadly, they won't ever experience the gentle nature of his daily "visits." And so I pass this on as something soothing and something to think about. . . .

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Facebook and Kids Under 13. . . Not A Good Idea. . .

So social networking giant Facebook - now the third most populated "country" in the world - is considering a planned "baby boom." OK. . . so they've already got millions of kids under the allowed age of 13 already "living" within their boundaries. . . all of them on there as a result of ignoring Facebook's rules, either with or without parental permission, the former being pretty doggone troubling.

I would side with those who say this isn't only not a good idea, but it's a horribly bad idea. Supporters of the shift will scoff at the notion that allowing young kids on Facebook is anything less than harmless. But will that be the case? My starting point is with what I've been learning as a part of loads of research for our growing Digital Kids Initiative here at CPYU. All you have to do is take a look at some of our handouts and fact sheets, including our Primer on Social Networking and Primer on Electronic Addiction. Then, add just a little bit of common sense that's been steeped in careful observation of the kids and adults that we already know have been shaped in negative ways by too much social media and a lack of personal boundaries or thoughtful engagement.

This week I've been hunkered down with a new doctoral cohort in our Ministry to Emerging Generations track at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. One of our Korean students is passionate about teaching media literacy to his students. He's used the term "mediaholics" several times in his description of their media use.

Monday, June 4, 2012

Sandusky Goes To Court. . . Pondering Confession and Repentance. . .

Get ready. The Jerry Sandusky trial begins tomorrow. It will be all over the news. What will you do with it? I've learned that the best way to process these things is not to mock, laugh, or make jokes. There will be plenty of that from the self-righteous who believe they are above sin, and the late night comedians who make a living joking about the misery of others. Instead, we need to look closely at the brokenness of others and learn from it.

I don't know if Jerry Sandusky is guilty or not. Let's hope the courts and the legal system work. What I do know is that the accusations against Sandusky - whether true or not - reflect the reality of broken human nature. They remind us of the presence of sin in our world. They remind us of the need for confession, repentance, forgiveness, discipline, and restoration.

I thought about these things once again late last week as I finished up William Struthers' book Wired for Intimacy: How Pornography Hijacks the Male Brain. In his chapter on "Rewiring and Sanctification," Struthers writes these words that apply to all types of sin and what we do with it. . .