Understandably, the majority of parents who adhere to the evangelical Christian faith are concerned about the content that their children consume. With Disney effectively proclaiming that it wants to normalize LGBT+ lifestyles in its children’s cartoon films and Netflix creating so much “family-friendly” LGBT+ content that it has its category page dedicated to it, it is only logical that Christian parents would be concerned about the situation.
Even though it is essential to be extremely selective when selecting streaming media options that you believe are suitable for your children (which is a work that is already difficult), an increasingly vital component must be the continuous screening of shows over time and during several seasons.
To determine whether or not it is appropriate for your children to watch a show like Peppa Pig, you might watch enough of it yourself. A series of pastel-colored animated cartoons about a nice family of polite pigs with charming British accents. What could go wrong with such a series? On the other hand, a series that was first considered to be innocent might transform in subsequent seasons. For instance, in the seventh season of Peppa Pig, the program gave in to the pressure of activists and portrayed its first LGBT+ family in the form of lesbian polar bears. This occurred a long time after the majority of parents had concluded that they did not need to be concerned about it for their children.
CoComelon was involved in a very similar circumstance. As a result of the fact that the well-known YouTube series, which was geared toward viewers who were still in diapers, became one of the most popular shows on Netflix, many conservative parents, including myself, put it on for their young children without any reservations. On the other hand, the new spinoff of CoComelon Lane that was released this year featured an episode in which a young child was seen dancing in a dress in front of his gay fathers, who sang a song with the refrain “Just be you!”
Rest in peace, Mr. Beast.
Not only is it possible for animated shows aimed at children to subtly go from being “seemingly wholesome” to becoming “insidious propaganda” throughout certain periods. Take for example the highly well-known YouTuber known as MrBeast. MrBeast, also known as Jimmy Donaldson, is the English-language YouTube channel that has the most subscribers in the world (CoComelon comes in second). It is quite likely that your child or your child’s friends follow MrBeast. Mr. Beast, who was raised in a Christian household but now asserts that he is an agnostic, is promoting the acceptance of LGBT+ behavior among younger viewers, even though his programming looks to be very harmless.
Five Suggestions for Parents Who Follow the Christian Faith
I am a mom who has young children, and the idea of constantly filtering through the countless streaming media options and YouTube channels that are available to me feels overwhelming, if not downright impossible.
If busy parents, who are already concerned about screen time and phones as portals to all kinds of intrusive negative effects, are expected to constantly check otherwise “trusted” content suppliers, this is a tall order, to say the least. It is not feasible nor desirable for parents to keep a close eye on their children for an extended period.
Despite this, it is risky to take a “hands-off” stance after receiving an initial endorsement in this day and age, when unbiblical concepts are pervasive in the media landscape. This is true even (and possibly especially) in programming that is assumed to be harmless and aimed at young people who are susceptible to being influenced. Here are some tips for how parents who follow the Christian faith can be attentive to their children.
- Spend some time watching with your children on occasion.
Be truthful with each other, parents. Having the ability to turn on an “approved” television or YouTube channel and go about your to-do list while taking pleasure in a little bit of peace within the confines of your own house is a wonderful experience. On the other hand, you should attempt to watch on occasion alongside your children, particularly if it is a new season or episode of a show that they enjoy watching. These regular check-ins will assist you in recognizing when something about a show seems odd, such as the progressive change in Chris Tyson’s appearance, which viewers of Mr. Beast who follow the show regularly notice.
- Become a member of a like-minded community.
No parent is capable of watching every episode in its entirety. However, if you establish a network of reliable parents who have a similar outlook and are all concerned about the negative effects that media might have on children, you will be able to collectively notify one another about potential issues. Consequently, this highlights the need for Christian parents to cultivate relationships with other parents who are at a similar stage of life and who share their Christian values. Help each other prevent youngsters from exposure to material that could be harmful.
- Keep an eye on Christian testimonial websites.
Check out Christian evaluations on the internet if you are wondering whether a particular show or YouTube channel is suitable for your audience. One of the best resources available is called Focus on the Family’s Plugged In. During the year 2020, they broadened the scope of their review categories to include reviews of YouTube channels. To enhance our ability to identify minor adjustments that may take place over time, I would be thrilled if someone were to develop a website or app that is solely devoted to analyzing the content of various forms of media throughout a wide range of seasons and years.
- Establish social media connections with influencers who share your values.
I have some reservations about recommending the use of social networking for any cause. On the other hand, one advantage for parents is that if they follow people who are similar to them and who defend traditional Christian values, they will be aware as soon as a show like Peppa Pig or CoComelon takes a potentially dangerous turn. Even though these products have the potential to be clickbait for the culture war, the end consequence is that as children’s media gets more woke, news spreads more quickly and to a wider audience. In this day and age of crowd-sourced discovery, differences in communications that are “under the radar” are rarely overlooked.
Do not act hypocritically.
This is something that I have to remind myself of regularly: we shouldn’t encourage our children to shun things that promote unbiblical ideas if we don’t make an effort to avoid watching adult versions of those things ourselves. We should bring attention to the media that encourages money, vanity, narcissism, profanity, cohabitation, and other things that are condemned in the Bible. “Unbiblical values,” by the way, span a much wider range of social issues than just support for LGBT+ individuals.
Certainly, there is a difference between the ability of an adult to discern the positive and negative aspects of popular culture and the ability of a preschooler to do so. On the other hand, if we apply stringent limitations to the content that our children are allowed to view while simultaneously adopting an “almost anything goes” attitude toward ourselves, there will be a disconnect. You should be concerned about the role that the media plays in shaping your soul, and you should talk about this with your children. The entire family needs to work together to steer clear of negative media and instead look for positive news.
It is a form of discernment that works in both directions: learning to recognize and steer clear of harmful forms of media, while simultaneously learning to recognize and value something that is edifying. Even though there is a greater-than-before assortment of wonderful, true, and beautiful storytelling across all genres, the good news about today’s expansive media ecosystem is that, despite all of its rubbish, there is a significantly greater variety of such stories than ever before. Saying no to the bad is just one component of our process of evaluating the media, which includes both our individual and social perspectives. In addition, we ought to make it a priority to affirm the positive by advocating it, working to expand it, providing financial support for it, and taking pleasure in it together.
Post Source: thegospelcoalition.org
