This is Alpha, the first-born, when he was 2YO.
This is Beta, the second-born, when he was about 2YO.
This is Gamma, the third-born, when he was about 18MO.
Discerning Media
Feb
2
2012
I’m writing about censorship today.
A couple weeks ago the internet was ablaze with SOPA and PIPA and other acronyms. Everyone rallied together and defeated the big bad bills that would have let government direct who can say what.
I’m not talking about that kind of censorship.
I censor what comes into my house, what my kids see and hear.
Maybe a better word would be filter.
Or discern.
It is important for parents to protect their children.
People use the term shelter like it is a bad thing. Shelter is like anything else – too much of it is bad, and too little of it is bad too. Kids need to be sheltered for a while, until they are strong enough to withstand that from which the shelter was protecting them.
I like the analogy of the greenhouse. Why do seedlings need to be in a greenhouse? The greenhouse is there to protect them from the elements until they have grown enough to handle them.
You wouldn’t put young plants in the ground before the danger of frost is gone. Similarly, you shouldn’t let inappropriate material get to your children before they have a solid foundation. Children are impressionable. Their minds, emotions, and morals are being formed. Let those aspects solidify before being tested.
We will be watching the Super Bowl. My children will enjoy the game, and I don’t worry about the content of the show because NFL announcers limit their conversation to the game.
As soon as NBC cuts to commercial though, I will have my thumb on the remote, ready to switch to another channel should anything improper appear. And we won’t be watching any of the halftime show, because the kids will need a break from the TV for a few minutes.
It’s nice having extra hype about the Super Bowl commercials, because I have already seen some previews and descriptions of what will air. From what I hear, the second quarter will be the worst.
As in years past, a web hosting company will be airing an ad that degrades women. I will be sure to skip that one. In fact, I skip that one even if I’m the only one watching the TV because nothing good can come from watching their commercials. And if you buy your web hosting from a company that spends millions of dollars on Super Bowl commercials each year, contact me and I will help you switch to a host that will not embarrass you.
I also hear that a car company will be featuring scary creatures. As an adult, I would probably chuckle at that commercial because of the element of humor. But have a 3- or 6-year-old watch that before bedtime and then try explaining that those monsters don’t really exist even though we just watched them on TV.
When my children are 13 and 16, instead of 3 and 6, maybe I won’t be so quick to flip the channel. But to get to that point, I need to discuss with them why I change the channel.
They need training and guidance, and I don’t trust the television to provide that.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Preparing children to guard their hearts and minds is a lot easier than trying to fix them after being corrupted.
but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
Matthew 18:6
This little article thingy was written by Some Guy sometime around 6:35 am and has been carefully placed in the Life category.
February 2nd, 2012 at 7:33 am
Amen.
February 2nd, 2012 at 8:26 am
Well said.
February 2nd, 2012 at 8:51 pm
Hear, hear. And by that I mean there are lots of people that need to hear these words!