The Fallacy of Neutrality — and a GIVEAWAY!

It’s my pleasure to introduce you to Lisa Frost. I recently read the book she and her husband, Jason, wrote, and was impressed with their extensive knowledge and research. I appreciate their input and insight to today’s digital age and how it affects teens. And, I’m sure you’ll glean some information from the following post. Be sure to read to the end to find out how to enter the drawing to win their book, The Glass Between Us.

“Saying no to porn is not just a choice; it’s a statement of who I am and where I am going.”

Jason Frost

Who turned the gravity up on this generation? I remember when two of my freshmen students, Ben and Jenna, nervously approached my desk. They struggled to find the right words, but they had courage and spoke up. Ben went first, “I told Kerry I didn’t want to see those pictures!” What was he getting at, I wondered? What pictures? Ben stammered, “I really didn’t want to look at them, but it’s so hard when they are right there on my phone.” Kerry had been sending nudes. You could see the weight on Ben’s face. He was deeply burdened. Jenna went on to share that Kerry, their classmate, was not well. She was severely depressed and if things got bleak enough, she told them she had something in her purse to end it all.

Between 2014-2017 the life expectancy of Americans began to decline, and it’s not what you think. The old weren’t dying younger. Rather, young people were choosing to end their lives, while others were overdosing on drugs. 

As parents and professionals working on the frontlines with this struggling generation, we have to completely shift our approach to how we relate and mentor them in the digital age. Social media, gaming and pornography are omnipresent in our teens’ lives and they all function on the same principle: capture time and attention no matter the cost. 

Pornographers are experts at monetizing attention. They prey on the natural fundamental needs, curiosities and desires of youth, presenting a product that has the potential to cancel childhood altogether. Something I have learned from observing this digital generation, the wiring of the brain becomes the playbook of the heart. What they thread their brains to online becomes how they love offline. 

This rising generation does not have the luxury of being neutral on this issue. They have one of two options, “to become a consumer or a fighter.” There is simply no middle ground. Almost every child is confronted with this fact every day they go to school, every time they are traveling with their friends (sports), when they hang out with their buddies or alone in their room. The choice to say “yes” or “no” to pornography consumption is one most kids make dozens of times every single day.

Filters, blocking software, no phones-alone boundaries, etc. help shield our children from danger at home, but the minute they step out the front door these protections are not nearly as effective, unless all their friends and peers are on the same page, which is most certainly not the case. So what is the answer? Is there a path forward?

Our organization exists because of our unwavering hope that change is possible, that we can reclaim the lives and mental health of this rising generation from the iron grip of Big Tech in this digital age.     

Here are 5 tips to reclaiming a generation:

1. Raise Up Pioneers, Not Rule Followers: Like nature, the wild plains of the digital frontier can be equally beautiful as it is dangerous. Where rules invite boundary testing and rebelling, a pioneer mindset equips teens in this digital age to reject exploitation and harmful content online, while learning to master the elements that launch them towards their goals.   
2. Values Compass: The values we live into are a reflection of who we are and where we are going in life. Teens learn to reject exploitation and porn online because of who they are, which will always trump, “because I told you to.” 
3. Not all Values are Healthy: Life giving relationships and thriving lives start with a value for what I can give, the values promoted by the porn industry end with what I can get. Have a conversation with your teen about their heroes. What values brought them closer to their goals and which values lead them astray?
4. I Care! Scream it Loud, Scream it Proud: All of these tips mean nothing if our kids blow us off the minute they step out the front door. Being a digital mentor is not about telling teens what to do. It’s about communicating, “I care” so loudly that our words become life on their lives.
5. Power of Presence: Having influence in the lives of those we love starts with being present and available. The difference between speaking into a teenager’s life and not at them lies within our ability to visibly listen.

Here is the truth, Jason (my husband and co-founder of Wired Human) and I remind each other every day that the digital crisis facing this generation is not an inevitable end to childhood. It’s an invitation to go deeper. We have to be willing to sacrifice our time and attention to meet this generation in the trenches of the digital battlefield and pioneer a path forward together. The by-product of such sacrifice is a relationship forged in battle and love; it will not be shaken easily. Vice versa, if our teens are going to survive and thrive in the digital age, they will have to learn to mature and exercise wisdom beyond their years. The by-product of such growth will be incredibly grounded, self-aware leaders blazing new trails for future generations to follow.

GIVEAWAY INFO: Here’s the skinny on how to enter the drawing for The Glass Between Us by Jason & Lisa Frost!

To enter the drawing, do at least one of the following and then email me at hopefulmom619@gmail.com or comment on this post & let me know all the ways you entered the drawing.

1. If you haven’t already, subscribe for updates. (Scroll to bottom of screen & enter name & email & hit the subscribe button.) – five entries for subscribing – WOOT!
2. Share this post on your social media platform. One entry for each tag. (See how many you can get!)
3. Refer this website to your friends through an email. One entry for every five emails.

Unfortunately, I can only ship to North America. So please let me know which country you live in when entering. Thank you.

Drawing Deadline: March 15, 2021