We are all guilty!
If you love a child/young adult born since 1994, you have likely used screens to cultivate some “peace and quiet” in your home, your car, and your life.
For many of us, we have done it too much. The shame we feel keeps us from real-life conversations and ultimately real-life transformation.
Want to tackle this issue from place of grace and hope?
Read Andy Crouch’s book, The Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in Its Proper Place.
Short, insightful, truthful, and story-laden, this book is a stand-out resource about parenting in this wild-world of digital family life.
The Tech-Wise Family is now my first choice gift at weddings for newly married couples. It is that good and I am that crazy!
Get it into the hands of those you love. Read it together with your home Bible study group.
We have to start talking, sharing, exploring – with courage – a new, God-honoring way to DO life in our families. It begins with a real-life, grace-infused vision about how to make “tech” a great tool and not tragic home invasion.
2 more things!
#1. Share! We want to hear from you! This is an important, critical topic. We all want to glean and grow from your insights and questions.
- What works in your home? A system? A plan? Basic rules? Share what you’ve learned.
- Where are you facing roadblocks and frustration when it comes to kids and devices? Or YOU and devices. Tackling the issues of over-use in our own lives is typically the first step.
- What questions do you have about tech and your toddler to teen?
#2. Do you love a young adult? Do you work with young adults? This year we are “celebrating” 10 years of smart-phone technology. iGen: Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy–and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood–and What That Means for the Rest of Us, by Jean Twenge, is packed with research and insight. Bottom line, many of our young adults are lagging five-years behind in maturity. No matter the age of your child, grandchild, or the youth you serve and love this, too, is an outstanding summer read.
Note: Run Hard. Rest Well. is a nonprofit ministry packed with vision, but short on donors. If you decide one of these books would be a blessing and you use the link(s) above, your click will support our ministry. Thank you, my friends! If you are a new blog follower, please know we rarely do this, but some books are just that good!
I don’t think of myself as a tech type person, but I am usually found on one form or other of tech items. I got off Facebook because it was time consuming and was rarely uplifting. Email, blogs, devotions, teachings would not be accessible outside my iPad or computer. Additionally, because my vision isn’t as good, I have the ability to make the letters bigger and easier to read. Texts? Well, it seems like others lead a very busy life and text is all they can do. I remember sitting in a chair by a phone attached to the wall or sitting on a stand nearby and actually speaking words and hearing words from another person. The question “where are you” was foolish. Being on the phone meant you were at home. I remember writing with a pen that had a cartridge that was filled with ink or getting ink sucked up into the pen from an ink bottle. Boy am I dating myself. I remember writing letters and cards, putting addresses on them, a stamp, and putting them in the mailbox for the postman to pick up and take to the post office. A lot has changed. I’m not happy with the dependence everyone seems to have with technology, but it’s one of those good/bad things. My grandchildren have not been taught to spell or to write or correct grammar. Why do they need it when spellcheck is around. I hurt for our teachers. How do they reach our kids? Sorry. Rant is over. Love you. Thank you for this timely reminder.
Thank you, Betty for the support and encouragement.
We have to start talking . . . !