A new way teens will be making decisions in 2013
3January 14, 2013 by eimrick
In 2006, google was officially declared a verb. That same year, Twitter was created. Parents and youth leaders alike are trying so hard to keep up with their teens on all of this social media, but by the time they get around to finally understanding how to post a picture on facebook, their students are “snap-chatting” each other. It’s common for parents in our youth group to not even realize that ipods have internet access. Yes, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Parents of teenagers in this culture are on the cutting edge and frontlines of parenting in ways that no other parenting generation has ever been before. Well, for the first time ever, let’s be on the cutting edge. Let’s be ahead of the curve.
I’ve done a bit of “googling” and found that 2013 is going to be a big year for new platforms of social media to hit the main market. “Thumb” is one of those social media sites.
In a world where teens are having a difficult time holding strongly to any kind of conviction, where they wrestle with their own identity and struggle with peer pressure like no other generation before, comes this new social media site called Thumb. Watch their brief commercial here.
After watching the video, ask the teens in your home or in your small group the following questions.
1. How does this social media site encourage decision making?
2. What could be problematic about making decisions this way?
3. How is “community” defined in this commercial?
4. Talk openly about their tag line “real people, real opinions”.
5. What opportunities and dangers are there in living this way?
6. Is it difficult to have convictions amongst your friends?
7. What does God’s Word teach us about decision making?
What other questions might you ask? What does this social media site tell us about the current youth culture?
Ya great commercial ..It simply shows how dependent we have become on these social media sites.there are pros and cons to it.They are influencing our lives in a great way.
I’m reminded how Ecclesiastes says there is nothing new under the sun. This type of peer pressure was common even decades ago (and even earlier than that), but what’s different is we’re now (1) Global about who we ask, and (2) Actually asking versus avoiding being labeled. The polarizing effects will be that people (especially students) will either take a “Don’t hate on me, haters!” approach to any type of constructive thought or start to care way too much about the opinion of others. How much more timely is the message of Psalm 139 – including verses 19-22. 🙂
cool commercial. engaging. funny. and sad. i tried to teach our sons, “If you please God, it doesn’t matter who you displease. If you displease God, it doesn’t matter who you please.” easier said than done. I’m 59 and find myself still wanting to be a people-pleaser. God, save me from myself!