Many youth leaders advise tossing out the television altogether, on the basis of the notion that so much of the programming has become contrary to our values. This is certainly one of the ways to solve the problems of watching too much TV or watching things that aren’t good for us as Christians. But such a solution is unlikely to go down well in most families or in your youth group.

An alternative is to use television as a means of teaching teens how to identify and process their values, and deal with the challenges television presents. With all the temptations out there in the world, it’s never too soon for kids to begin using critical thinking skills and putting their values to work in weeding out the trash. It’s easier to draw a line zero tolerance, but it’s also less productive. Discrimination is much more difficult, but it ends up being more rewarding.

Begin lively discussions with your youth about television. Start with underlying assumptions about media’s potential influence on the Christian experience. Then talk about what constitutes good programming, and why.

Ten Tantalizing Topics for TV Talk

1. TV News.  Does it give a distorted view of the world (sensationalism; creates fear by making crime seem ubiquitous; emphasis on the visual and the local— whatever makes a good picture; ratings determine priorities; bottom-line thinking of TV execs)?
2. Sitcoms — Yesterday and Today.  Are they better or worse? Funnier or dumber? How has the language changed? Are the innuendoes more obvious? Are we laughing at things that really aren’t funny? How are Christian values portrayed? Or are they?
3. The V-Chip.  Is this technology really a solution? Or is it parental abdication? How can the viewing habits of the very young be controlled? When should we be allowed to see anything we want to see?
4. Soap Operas.  Why are they so popular? Why are they so addictive? Is there anything redeeming about them? Do we really want this much sex?
5. Crime Shows.   How real are they? Do they contribute to the idea that everything can be or should be solved in an hour? Do we know how to separate fact from fiction? Do we really need this much explicit violence?
6. Contextual vs. Gratuitous — Language/Violence/Sex.  Is the degree of language/violence/sex essential to the story line? Or does it seem to be added just for shock value? How does/should this affect your tolerance of these things?
7. If You Were the Parent.  How will you treat these subjects when you have kids of your own? What would you want them to watch? What will you do the same way as your parents? What will you do differently?
8. Could Jesus Watch this With You?  This is an old standby question, but it’s still a thought-provoker! Do you think it’s an appropriate measure of our standards?
9. How Hooked Are You?  Could you give up TV for a week or two? How about for a month? Would this be a good way to find out how hooked you are. What would you miss the most? Why? What could you learn from such an experiment?
10. Ratings.  Have television producers done a good job in defining their own programs? Do the ratings make you more or less interested in a program? Should TV producers go further in explaining the content of their programs?

More Notes On Television Viewing

1. By the time they graduate from high school, most kids have watched 20,000 hours of television.
2. By some estimates, television contains more than 14,000 sexual references and innuendoes annually.
3. Most children will have seen 100,000 acts of violence on television by the time they enter the 6th grade.
4. Kids see about 20,000 TV commercials each year.
5. Seventy percent of TV viewers say they watch television for escape.  Only 1 in 10 seek intellectual stimulation.

“From: ABZ’s of Adventist Youth Ministry”
© 2000 John Hancock Center for Youth and Family Ministry
Permission to copy for use in the local congregation or group.