Mobile Ministry Magazine

If there is one thing that we can gather of these days and times, its that the Internet, and to another avenue mobile devies, offer kids the ability to deal with stresses differently than our parents might have.

When we looked before at parents and mobile kids (Part 1 and Part 2 of this series), we identified how differnt kids are from parents and how both groups need to come together towards working out how usage is different for each generation. Essentially, there are expections that each has of the other which may not be totally realistic, and at the time time, they are relevant towards shaping family life.

Another aspect that's only recently being looked at is the effect of using mobile and web services as a means of managing stress. We know that all people have a means of sheltering out the rest of the world, focusing on some object, and then dealing with the stress. But what we don't know is the relevance of such activities in a mobile/web context.

Thankfully there is some research being started in this area. Louis Leung, Ph.D. Associate Professor & Director of the Center for Communication Research at the School of Journalism & Communication at The Chinese University of Hong Kong actually did a study where he looked at over 700, 8-15 year olds to get an answer to the question of how does technology help or hinder our lives when we encounter stressful life events and become upset.

Here's a quote of one of the conclusions of that study from the website The Next Great Thing:

What did Dr. Leung find? He found that when kids are stressed they use technology to help moderate their emotions. That is, when kids in his study found themselves under stress, they interacted with technology to both moderate their moods and access social networks. Through the Internet, they accessed entertainment and information and sought “social compensation” through recognition and relationship management.

Consistent with good mental health, they recognized the need to seek help. The more social support a subject was able to access, the less impact stress had on their lives.

Looking at this quote, we can see that as before, previous generations of adults dealt with things in the same way, just not with the immediacy of the Internet or the funnel of a personal mobile device (Game Boy, mobile phone, etc.). And while there is most probably some cultural leaning that can also be said of the study - for example, possible fewer technological distractions - one can see that there is a healthy trend here towards managing stress, even though its different.

In light of this, what is something that parents and kids can do though to bridge the gap of what might be misintrepreted communication? First off, establish early on that the Internet and mobile devices should not be an "escape place," but a place of "simmering down." Emphasize the need to verbially and face-t-face address issues, using mobile and web technolgies as initial ice breakers towards opening those lines of communication.

Another possiblity here is alloting time for those "distractions" so that parents and youth alike can have a transistion moment from a stressful environment (school or work day) to a different one (home life, afterschool activities, etc.).

I would also emphasize that the kids be encouraged to also do things such as art and music, with and without connected devices, so that they are dependent on just one method of dealing with stresses.

Again, there's a lot to be learned in respect to how mobile and web technolgies are reshaping how we think about the world around us. And at the same time, its really all the same as its always been. The key as always is seeing what the basic needs are, and then making sure that the tools stay as tools, and the people stay as the focus.

Labels: children, community, discipliship, Internet, mobiles, parenting, Parents and Mobile Kids, teens, youth

In Part 1 of Parents and Mobile Kids, we talked about how parents and kids have a view of mobile technology that is sometimes contrary to one another. We gave a few positives though that both groups can take from these opposing viewpoints, along with some suggestions towards how to bridge the gaps. Here in part two, we'll talk about the negatives and how the changing views of mobile and Internet technology has to meet at Christ no matter what the output.

Concerning the pace of technology, there are some notable negatives towards the perspectives of parents and their children that might not be clearly seen: the pace of mobile technology adoption and development, the openness about the lack of privacy*, and the ease at which one can be addicted to aspects of mobile and Internet technology.

Unfortunately, the research on some of these negatives is still being researched, and conclusions are somewhat hard to come by. However, there are some things of note that can be stated here.

Mobile technology is a phase of media, communications, and technology that will continue to evolve. Its more personal than PCs, more interactive than radio and TV, and just as immersive as writing on paper. Because it crosses those other media areas so easily, the lessons from all of those apply and don't apply at the same time.

In terms of privacy, there has never been privacy in any communication-based media; however, there has never been the amount of blatant openness about what about you would be used against you with communication-based media as it is now in mobile/Internet technologies. Teach your children about how they should present themselves (Romans 12:1), how they should speak and behave (Titus 2:1-10), and how the Internet is not different than the offline world in these respects. In their lives, more than anytime before, the intersection of faith and technology will cause them to have to respond in maturity and wisdom.

In addition, there are laws about privacy that many youth are not aware of. Please, please, please make sure that you understand what is lawful, and then teach it responsibly. Kids need to know that this is very serious (See the report of a recent case on kids passing undressed/nude pictures and the sentence given to them by a judge, via Cellular News).

Mobile and Internet addiction is a touchy subject. Its a very real psychological item, at the same time it is not understood. Teach appropriate times and boundaries for using mobile and Internet devices (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8), but allow time for exploration and discovery. Be open to what they want to learn, but also seek to make sure that a Christ-aware framework is present as a means to direct those energies and talents.

And most of all, understand that like you, they will not agree with everything that their parents have said. They will want to push and push, pull and pull. You might not have the time as a parent to learn everything about each mobile device, Internet website, or associated technology, but you do have their mouth (as they have your ear). If they want to use it, have them teach it to you so that you have some awareness about the technology that is being asked to be brought into your homes. After all, we are told that we are to govern our own houses, and hearts, and minds, all in Christ Jesus.

*Privacy will be an increasingly important issue, and something that as a community MMM will try to guide and direct where possible. However, due to the amount of laws that govern cities, states, and regions, there is no way that we can cover everything. The responsibility to understand the privacy laws of your region does lie on you. But from that learning of policies and use at a high level, one can be a point of wisdom and instruction for youth and other parents. Please make sure that whatever you get into (mobile, Internet, otherwise), that you understand the scope of the privacy laws that apply to you and that usage. Only then can you teach your communities appropriately about mature and wise use of this technology.

Labels: addiction, children, Internet, mobility, Parents and Mobile Kids, privacy, teaching, teens, youth

Outside of game systems and High School Musical, it seems that mobiles have arisen to being near the top of the list for many kids. They see the ability to text, game, personalize, and connect online as being fruitful elements to how they enjoy childhood. Their parents might even see mobiles as an extended safety net, a means to teach sound financial principles, or an area that their kids need to show maturity before being given a rope.

No matter how parents and their kids are seeing mobility, both groups understand that its not a question of "if" kids will get their mobile life rolling, but "when" and "how" will it effect parents and themselves

So lets talk some about the benefits: applicable communication and technical skills building, grace versus allowance, and sound financial discipline.

The biggest benefit of a child getting involved with mobile communications today has to do with the immediate future value. Sorry parents, the way you communicate is a lot slower and more antiquated than how your kids will. Engaging them towards using mobile devices and services now prepares them for that soon to come paradigm shift when they are leading things. Besides just learning the technology, they are learning it as it relates to how they communicate with others, and this is a decisive advantage over any other media and lessons that they could be learning right now.

Another benefit has to do with the idea of setting boundaries, or what I like to call "grace versus allowance." As we learn as adults, there are many things that God has given us the grace to be able to do and achieve. At the same time, there are many roads we have wandered due to our ignorance that God has allowed us to travel, and may later have proved to be valuable lessons to share with others later. Mobile devices and technology can become a speaking point for you (parent) and a learning point for them (children) towards these areas of grace and allowances that lead them into a better understanding of how to fit within the world around them.

The last lesson is probably the most important, the issue of financial discipline. Mobile devices can be used as a jumping board for teaching sound financial discipline. For example, if a youth wants a mobile device, you ask them to research it. Having done that, you then ask them if they can afford it? If not, you ask them how they can go about purchasing this with what skills they are able to do (chores, outside work, etc.). You then get into teaching how to give and save, with the mobile device as the backdrop to this lesson. If there is a mobile phone involved, you can use the idea of putting money on a pre-paid mobile plan (I never would recommend a youth do a post-paid mobile, its pain for the parent). Using the model of pre-pay, you can teach them the difference between credit and debit budgeting, giving them a heads-up when they get into college and are bombarded with credit-only marketing.

This is a lengthy topic and so please stay tuned to part two (Wednesday) where we will talk about the negatives and an appropriate view of this technology with our changing times.

Labels: children, discipliship, education, Internet, mobility, parenting, Parents and Mobile Kids

Mobile Ministry Magazine began its run by releasing quarterly issues which contained reviews, editorials, and how-to articles which would enable readers to get a hold onto mobile and web technology and further see how these are being used. While the issues are no longer being published, there are several series of articles which are published from time to time in keeping with the original purpose of having "issues" which are able to be recorded and discussed.

Issues

• MMM Issue 1: Premiere Issue (PDF)
• MMM Issue 2 (PDF)
• MMM Issue 3: Mobile Tech in Ministerial Roles (PDF)
• MMM Issue 4: At the Intersection of Faith and Technology
• MMM Issue 5: Keep Moving Forward

Special Reports

• MMM Mobile Experiment Report (PDF)
• MMM Smartphone Guide
• Church in the 7th Dimension
• Parents and Mobile Kids (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)
• The Paperless Pulpit (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)
• 2009 BibleTech Presentation: Speaker Abstract and Audio | Outline (HTML)
• 2009 Visual Story Network Presentation

Labels: BibleTech, Church and the 7th Dimension, Issue 1, Issue 2, Issue 3, Issue 4, issue 5, issues, Paperless Pulpit, Parents and Mobile Kids, VSN