Parenting in A Digital World

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This week in our Faith Hub:Where God and Technology Connect Monday series, we are landing on the topic of parenting in a digital world. Several weeks ago when I had the opportunity to share with over 200 parents at the ch@t event supported by Blush.org, one particular subtopic in my talk hit home with the parents, as they shared with me after the event. Today I wanted to take a few moments to address the topic from a Biblical perspective.

Should we encourage our children to use their Bibles on their digital devices?

Our children are using digital devices regularly; we need to be the example in teaching them to use them to grow and share their faith in Christ.

If we never use our Bibles on smartphones, computers, tablets, or any other digital devices, then we can be sure that our children will not consider Bible reading on digital devices to be a priority.

One of the ladies at the ch@t event approached me afterwards and relayed to me that her family had experienced something that very week in relation to this topic.  Her daughter’s ipod privilege had been removed  for a problem that had occurred. Later in the week, the youth director called to check on the daughter because she had not been doing her work for Bible class. The daughter’s response was that her ipod had been taken away and her Bible was on her ipod. Obviously, this Christian family had several Bibles around the house that could be used at any time. But the daughter was already in the habit of using her ipod for her Bible reading and work.

We could look at the above situation and have different responses. We could be upset that the girl didn’t even think to use a Bible because she was so accustomed to using her ipod as a Bible. I mean, it does seem like a logical conclusion to open a paper Bible in place of the ipod. Or we could embrace the fact that using her ipod as a Bible had become a wonderful routine that kept her in God’s Word daily.

Parenting in the digital world holds one requirement- being proactive about our decisions for technology usage.

My pastor said in his message this morning:

As parents our responsibility is to teach our children how to discern what is right according to God’s Word. – Ken Murphy

While Paul didn’t know anything about ipods or smartphones or tablets, he was secure in the knowledge of one unchanging factor throughout history, found in I Cor. 10:31:

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

This command does not change or waver according to the activity- digital or paper.

I love that God’s Word to us is never out of date and always applicable!

I’d love to hear what you think:

What do you as a parent think about encouraging children to use their digital devices to grow in their faith in God?

Bloggers- love to have you link up as usual on Mondays!  I do have a special announcement. Our link-up day is changing effective this week. Today we will link up on Monday as usual; however, our link-up day is moving to Wednesdays. We will begin this Wednesday, with two link-ups for this week only. Hope to see you back on Wednesday!

AND- I’m privileged to write for The Better Mom today with a little encouragement for parenting during the tough toddler years- hope you’ll head over there and check it out!