Because of the changes that have been thrust upon us, we’re all susceptible to over-consuming media and using technology as a form of escape, but our teens are especially vulnerable. Many of our teens already struggle with compulsive online behavior, whether with social media, gaming, or bingeing TV shows. Smartphones and video games are designed to be addictive, and social media and streaming sites ruthlessly compete for our attention.
More than anything, we need to pay attention to what our kids are doing online. Under normal circumstances, teens spend 9 hours a day using media, and many teens look at pornography on a weekly basis. Now, the porn industry is exploiting our circumstances by offering free premium services, and porn usage is going up. If our kids haven’t already been exposed to it, there’s a higher chance they will be exposed to it during this time.
If you’re worried that your teen may be susceptible to falling into these traps, here are a few ways you can protect your teen from unhealthy habits and unwanted exposure.
How to keep your kid safe
- Join our webinar. Tune in to our webinar today at 3:00 p.m. mountain time. We’ll discuss porn in today’s world, the overall appeal and effects of it, and give helpful tips and resources specifically for this time in quarantine.
- Read our Parent’s Guide to Pornography bundle. This bundle of three different resources will enable you to talk about this sensitive subject with girls and boys separately. And because this is such an important topic right now, we’ve lowered the price to $3.99 for all three Guides.
- Set up (or inspire the use of) internet filters.Read this free Parent Guide that compares 23 different internet filters so you can have the most informed decision possible when deciding what’s appropriate for your family. But also keep in mind that this kind of thing is best enforced proactively. If you’ve got an older teen, placing filters on their phones all of a sudden may come across as a lack of trust, and lead to awkwardness and conflict. Of course, if they’re under your roof, then this is your right. But remember that your role with older teens should include not only authority, but also influence; you are training them to make wise decisions on their own. To help provide this sort of influence, frank conversations about how porn affects users can encourage the voluntary pursuit of sexual health and integration. The ultimate goal for older teens should be that they voluntarily choose a filter or some other form of accountability.
- Establish social media boundaries. Social media is an easy place to get sucked into unsafe behavior. Try to work out some good time limits with your kid, and explain why doing so is a good and healthy thing for them. Chances are, they’re not going to love the idea of time limits, especially since social media serves as a lifeline to the outside world during this time of isolation. So really work with your teen to find a balance that feels understandable and healthy.
- Provide media time limits. Check out this article for ways to cut back on media.
- Download Covenant Eyes. This is an accountability-based service that helps people to overcome porn addiction by monitoring screen activity and sending reports to trusted allies who hold them accountable for their online choices.
- Read our Parent’s Guide to Masturbation. This Guide is on a 50% off sale, which makes it just $1.99. It covers everything you need to know to talk about it with your teen.
The bottom line
A hard reality is that addiction will only worsen during this time if we do nothing to address the root issues and establish good rhythms. We need to help our teens address these issues, but we need to make sure we do so in a way that doesn’t accidentally make the problem worse. It can be very hard to accept these challenges, and really awkward to address this topic, but there are good resources available, and ways that we can become more educated in fighting the issue.
Despite everything going on, now is actually a good time to address bad habits, whether it’s a porn problem, drug addiction, or something else altogether. With love, patience, and prayer-guided wisdom, we should humbly and courageously seek to love and guide our children towards holy and healthy lifestyles.