THE "NEW" TUBE

We risk a lot when we give our kids an Internet connection. In my own home, I treat every media type with great responsibility, because I know the power it has to influence my son and two daughters. But the Internet is a special case because in an instant, our kids can take it anywhere—from the most innocent children’s game to the most vile adult content. That’s why YouTube is especially dangerous. It’s incredibly popular, and it bridges the gap between innocent and insidious, making it so easy for pure intentions to wander into temptations and sin.

A new study by the Parent’s Television Council proved just that. It found that explicit content is many times only one click away from children. Even sample searches on YouTube for child-friendly topics like “Miley Cyrus” led to offensive content, and many blatantly pornographic videos did not require any form of age verification. In other words, your kids can—and probably already have—gone on YouTube to watch a perfectly innocent video, and without even trying, they were exposed to much more than you wanted them to see. We cannot be stand-offish about what our kids are doing online. It is a cultural battleground and we too often let them wander right into the middle of it!

• Here are a few steps you can take to protect your teens:
  
• Talk with your teens about the dangers of the Internet.
  
• Teach them to “run at first glance” if they ever come across something questionable, even if they weren’t looking for it.
  
• Keep computers in open, public places, like the living room. This is the easiest and best way to protect your entire family because it keeps everyone accountable.
  
• Use an internet filtering service like Net Nanny.
  

Build open relationships with your teens by spending quality time with them every day.

If you’re a youth pastor or work with students, take time to talk with them about the risks of YouTube and other websites.Thank you for caring enough to learn about the critical issues facing this generation today. And please pray with me for God’s protection and blessing over our young people and children.

Consumed by the Call
Ron Luce