Some parents may feel lost or even helpless when it comes to discussing and setting boundaries for their kids’ use of smartphones. There’s so much drama, misinformation, and even bullying on social media. Getting caught up in an artificial digital world can have negative effects on a young person’s actual world. That’s especially challenging for parents who are raising their children to follow Christ. The pull of the world can be dramatically infused by social media and by the coming rollout of virtual reality sites.
“If our only diet is headlines of things going wrong in the world, it can cause us easily to lose heart and lose hope in what ultimately matters and who ultimately wins, and that’s our Lord.” The thoughts of Matt Smethurst, author and lead pastor of River City Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia. “For young people, we are not setting them up for long-term spiritual success by giving them the world in their pocket at a premature age.”
With so many people, especially teens and young adults, on social media venues like TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Snapchat, many Christian parents are concerned with what’s being said and shared - and how attached kids are to their smartphones. Pastor Matt shares, “I do fear that we’re creating a generation of Christians who have knowledge that’s a mile wide, but wisdom that’s an inch deep.”
Dr. James Spencer, president of the D.L. Moody Center, puts his concern this way: “The overabundance of content each person is exposed to and absorbs determines what will influence their way of thinking in the world as they decide which stories, ideas and facts will contribute to their lives. The endless hours spent online directly impact an individual.”
According to one study, the average smartphone user spends 1,300 hours on social media each year.
According to Spencer, “Time is one of the most valuable resources that many of us waste .... In part, time is easy to waste because we don’t understand how we relate to it and, thus, are unsure of how to use it wisely. As we think about time, however, we will quickly realize that, when wielded well, it is one of the most powerful tools God has given us to serve Him. As Christians learn to use time well, we will increasingly learn to remember God in the midst of a broken world.”
Not just young people
Social media, VR, and artificial intelligence offer the user an opportunity to set up their own little world “in kind of a curated way,” explains Pastor Matt. An escape world where “no one tells me what I don’t want to hear.” In these digital communities “there’s no meaningful fellowship or accountability.” This kind of world where you’re in charge has the risk of drawing a professing Christian away from relying on our Savior.
Importance of attending a bible-believing church
For pastors, parents, and young people who want to encourage others to walk with Christ, Pastor Matt shares, “Your influence on social media may be broad, but it’s shallow – meaning you reach a lot of people but your impact on them, on their lives, is minimal. Whereas, in the context of a local church, where Jesus intends his followers to flourish and thrive, you might impact relatively few people. Your impact may not feel as broad as it could be on social media, but the influence you have over their life is profound…it’s narrow, but deep.”
Speaking of deep, Pastor Matt is deeply concerned about a significant number of people who got comfortable watching streaming church from home during the pandemic and have not returned to face-to-face fellowship at their local church. He suggests their “gathering muscles have atrophied.” His advice? “Get you body there (to church) and trust that your heart will catch up. Don’t wait until you feel like going to church until you do.” He believes by resuming in-person worship and teaching your “discipline will give way to delight.”
In an article for Baptist Press, Brian Boyles talks about ‘5 Biblical Arguments for Church Membership.' Reason #1: The majority of letters in the New Testament were written “to the church.”
In our complete podcast interview just below learn what Pastor Matt thinks about kids or teens having smartphones at all, or what age would be appropriate with care.
As we mentioned, Pastor Matt is also an author. Here are two titles to share with you:
Before You Open Your Bible: Nine Heart Postures for Approaching God’s Word
Before You Share Your Faith: Five Foundations for Evangelism
