Here is our weekly infographic, and it is a good one. I have been wrestling with the idea of cell phones and what they are doing to the students in my youth ministry. I think these devices are shaping and changing their identities. No other generation has been more accessible. The students I work with have their cell phones on all the time. They are constantly connected. This is a positive thing in many situations, but what if the student in your youth ministry is being bullied 24/7. What if they are being sent sexual images? I think this will have huge ramifications for the next generation. Lets take a moment to look at this infographic on teen sexting.
Here are somethings that stand out to me:
1. 53% of teens who sext are girls. This is devastating to me. I have a little girl, and I pray and long for her identity and worth to come from God, and not what other guys say about her. Girls need a deep understanding if who they are, and how they are created in the image of God. I often wonder about the girls in my youth ministry, and how they are buying into the lie that their worth comes from likes on facebook or instagram. That is a sense of value that leads to depression. There is no other time in history than today that the teens we lead need to hear the Gospel repeatedly.
2. 48% of teens have received a sexually suggestive message. We really need to help parents navigate this. I hope that when my kids are teens, I will have other youth workers who can help me parent teenagers. Parents today need guidance in how active should they be in the digital life of a teenager. I would say that they need to be present, and in control.
What other things stand out? Please leave a comment below!
Source: U know kids
