Parenting: Smartphones and Social Media, with Scott Harvey

Locker Room - A Southland Christian Church Podcast

Phones, technology and social media are simply tools for communication. The effects of using a tool depend on the purpose for which it is used, but the tool itself is neutral in origin. It’s similar to having a hammer. You can build something with a hammer. You can also destroy something or hurt someone. The tools are not the problem. How something is used is the problem. The same is true with social media and smartphones.

In this episode we’ll discuss how to use technology appropriately and navigating when and how to introduce technology safely into the lives of your kids.

Our guest on the podcast this week is Scott Harvey. Scott has 20 years of experience in law enforcement, specializing in hostage negotiations and communication. He is also a husband and girl dad, and author of the book, Silence Kills: Communication Tactics to Speak with Confidence and Build Your Influence.

DISCUSSION GUIDE

What was the first cell phone you owned? What year did you get it? What did you primarily use it for?

Which tool (literally or figuratively) do you find most valuable? What makes it so important to you?

Technology like a smartphone is a tool that can be used for good or bad. How has having a smartphone been good for you? How has it been bad?

Scott mentioned two points for determining when your child should get a smartphone: 1) Point of need. 2) Point of responsibility. What are good things to consider when making this decision? Did your parents utilize similar rules when giving you responsibility like this?

It can be easy to default to buying the newest, nicest thing. What are some healthy questions to ask yourself before you add any new technology (newest phone, VR, Gaming system, etc.) to your life?

In what ways have you used social media? What apps do you currently use? What do you enjoy about the apps you use? What issues have come about from social media?

Scott mentioned how we handle our kids’ minor screw-ups will affect how they approach major mess-ups. How do you react when your child disobeys? How can you start healthy lines of conversation now so that they can come to you in times of need?

What boundaries, time limits, etc. are healthy to set for your children’s phones? What about for your phone?

The episode discussed the dangers of pornography, sexting, and sextortion. What do we do with the information? How do we communicate this well to our kids? How do we provide space for confession when our kids make these errors?

What else from the podcast spoke to you?

What did God/Holy Spirit speak/prompt/say to you? What’s God asking you to do? What does He want to give you? What does He want you to lay down?

NEXT STEPS

• Join a Group at southland.church/groups

• For any other questions or comments email [e-mail]