Escape into Social Media, or Christ?

I recently read through the report on teens and media from the University of California and found some thought-provoking data. The report is titled “Reality Bites: Teens and Screens 2024.” The survey found that that the number one reason young people ages ten to twenty four report for using social media is to escape and take their minds off of things. This is not at all surprising in light of all the recent talk about the declining mental health of our children and teens. Of course, human beings have always looked for and found ways to escape their pain, with most of these strategies resulting in anesthetizing themselves from the realities of life. Sometimes these lead to addictions. As long as kids are running to social media, we can expect more and more to become addicted to their devices. Let’s remember that a landscape of hopelessness is a landscape ready and ripe for hearing the truths of the Gospel. Are you telling your kids about finding peace and purpose in Christ?