Apps Review

Apps can be useful tools in and out of the classroom. At the same time, they can be very dangerous for adolescents. Parents and educators must be aware of the risks involved and know the steps to take to protect their children and students. Enjoy the following review.

YouTube

            YouTube is a video-sharing website that can also be viewed as an app. You can watch online videos or upload your videos to share privately or publicly. It is very popular among children but YouTube stresses children under thirteen should not watch without adult supervision (Bergen, 2019).

Warnings

            YouTube is full of inappropriate videos. A video considered inappropriate is determined by the Motion Picture Association of America as unsuitable for children under the age of thirteen. Although YouTube is for thirteen and older, younger children will use their parents’ accounts or sign up and lie about their age. Children may start out watching a kid-friendly video but they have a forty-percent probability of reaching a disturbing video within ten clicks. The comment section under videos may also contain inappropriate information if not monitored (Stokel-Walker, 2019). Offenders leave comments to advertise sites that show images of child abuse (Anonymous, 2019)

Safeguards.

            To protect children, parents should watch with YouTube with their children to make sure their videos are kid-friendly. In 2019, YouTube started suspending comments on all videos that involve younger children. This should keep kid-friendly videos from showing inappropriate comments. By creating a log-in, you can choose which specific channels you wish to follow (Anonymous, 2019).

Check it out at: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/youtube-watch-listen-stream/id544007664

YouTube Kids

            YouTube Kids is a stand-alone app, created to offer a safer video experience than the YouTube app. It is targeted for an audience aged three to eight. Like YouTube, it allows the user to view online videos. The Google unit’s goal is to move viewers under thirteen away from YouTube to this kid-friendly app. Over the next three years, they will spend one hundred million dollars to fund original children’s programming (Shaw, 2020).

Warnings

            Inappropriate videos have been reported to be slipping through the cracks on the YouTube Kids app. Although their videos are typically considered kid-friendly, parents still may not want their children to see all the videos available. It can also be addicting and cause children to sit and watch for hours (Graham, 2018).

Safeguards

            This app allows parents to approve and select content for their children to watch. Under profile settings, parents can select from available collections, based on ages, or they may create their own collection. Parents may turn off the search engine to keep their children from finding videos they have not approved. A timer may be set so children can only watch for the amount of time chose by their parents. Individual videos or channels may be blocked. To change settings, a parent must answer a multiplication problem correctly (Frontier Star, 2018).

Check it out at: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/youtube-kids/id936971630

Instagram

            In 2010, Instagram was launched as a photo-sharing platform. It allows users to share pictures with friends. You can choose to follow others and have others follow you. Friend’s pictures are listed as a scrollable feed. Friends have the option to like pictures. You may also add videos. Stories are short videos or pictures uploaded that disappear after twenty-four hours. You also have the option to privately direct message friends.             

Warnings

            Instagram has been ranked as the worst social media app for mental health. Adolescents correlate the number of likes they receive with their social status. This is tied to self-esteem and confidence. To gain more likes, teenagers will post at times when people are most active on social media and they will edit their pictures to change their appearance. Instagram leads young people to present themselves with a false reality to gain popularity (Das et al., 2018). The app has an age requirements of thirteen but younger children set up an account by lying about their age. Many children do not understand the dangers of sharing personal information online with people they do not know (Scholastic, 2019).

Safeguards

            Parents must monitor their children’s accounts if they are under thirteen. Instagram does have privacy-settings that allows the user to control who can see their photos. You can also block people from your account that you do not know or do not want to see your photos.   

Check it out at: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/instagram/id389801252

Snapchat

            Snapchat is a social media and messaging app that allows users to send messages, photos, and videos. Users are allowed to apply special effects, text, filters, and stickers. Content can be sent individually to friends or in snap stories to their whole audience. You can choose your content to disappear after a set period of time. In 2017, Snapchat added Snap Map. This allows users to see what their friends are doing in different locations. Snap Map can be utilized for research and investigators to learn more about specific regions and improve situational awareness. Snap Map can be accessed via app or web browser.  

Warnings

            Snapchat receivers can take a screenshot of images sent to them. The send may believe their image will disappear after being viewed but it may be kept forever if a screenshot is taken. There may be other people looking on the same screen when a user opens an image sent to them. Any image sent can be saved and sent to others. When an image is sent to one person it may be viewed by others. With Snap Map, users can be located by their Snapchat friends. The location of adolescents can be compromised (Das et al., 2018).  

Safeguards

            Parents need to monitor their children’s activities on Snapchat. Adolescence may not realize the danger of sharing their location. Snapchat does offer privacy settings. In the settings, you can select ghost mode. The ghost mode prevents the user’s location from being shared. When in ghost mode, the user’s location does not appear on the map to others. If a user shares an image to Our Story, it will be displayed on the map but it will not display the username. Non-friends can never see the location of content (Ajaeb, 2018).   

Check it out at: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/snapchat/id447188370

TikTok

            TikTok is an app known for dance videos. It has become popular in the entertainment industry. Music executives and talent agents use the app to scout for actors and actresses. It is an outlet used for educating others about climate change, systematic racism, and Black Lives Matter. It has close to four hundred thousand followers. It enables interactions and conversations between followers not found on other social media platforms (Lorenz, 2020).

Warnings

            TikTok’s parent company is ByteDance, a Chinese company. Cybersecurity analysts warn there are risks with Chinese apps. TikTok could be supplying China with large scale data on the United States. Some countries have already banned the use of TikTok for security reasons. The United States is currently researching TikTok over national security concerns (Abi-Habib, 2020).  

Safeguards

            Parents should remove TikTok from their children’s phones and iPads until further investigation is complete concerning security risks. When using TikTok, your account can be made private. On your profile page, select the three dots in the upper-right corner and select Privacy and Safety. You can select who you interact with and switch your account to private. Parents may also share an account with their child to keep an eye on their content (Ucciferri, 2020).    

Check it out at: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/tiktok-trends-start-here/id835599320

References

Abi-Habib, M. (2020, June). India bans Chinese mobile apps like tiktok. The New York Times.

Anonymous (2019, March). YouTube bans comments on kid’s videos. Computer Active.

Ajaeb, E. (2018). Snapchat’s snap map. onlinesearcher.net.

Bergen, M. (2019). YouTube videos aimed at kids are the most popular. Bloomberg.com.

Das, P., Milankaik, R., Muthiah, N., & Shah, J. (2018). New age technology and social media: Adolescent psychosocial implications and the need for protective measures. Wolters Kluwer Health, 31 (1). 148-156.

Frontier Star (2018). YouTube kids on Thursday announced three new features around the           content available in the app. Academic Search Ultimate. 2.

Graham, J. (2018, April). Parents now allowed more control over content on youtube kids. USA Today.

Lorenz, T. (2020, August). TikTok ban? Creators and fans are big mad. The New York Times.

Scholastic (2019). Should kids be on Instagram. www.scholastic.com.

Shaw, L. (2020). YouTube will fund kids shows based on these 12 words. Business Source           Complete. 1.

Stokel-Walker, C. (2019). Kids are often led astray on youtube. New Scientist, 241 (3221),  1-3.

Ucciferri, F. (2020). Parent’s ultimate guide to tiktok.          https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/parents-ultimate-guide-to-          tiktok#:~:text=To%20make%20your%20TikTok%20account,do%20a%20duet%20with          %20you.

How Safe Spaces Began in the Church

Cry-ins, ponies, and coloring books. It seems like each day there is a new buzzword filling our social media trending topics displaying the unfortunate case of entitlement among disappointed college voters having difficulty coping with the election results. But this is not a blog about the election, its outcome, or who voted. Though the idea of campus “safe spaces” and “cry-ins” seems like it’s cutting edge in universities across America, it is actually already well established in certain circles of the church, breeding apathy and creating a bubble that separates believers from… well, everyone else.

My husband and I love the church. When I refer to the church I am referring to the collective body of Christ – the family of God. We have planted churches and pastor one that meets in a coffee shop. Not once during this time have we felt burnout from being around other believers. I firmly believe it’s because we see them not just as members of the church, tithers, or community leaders. It is because we consider them family. Perhaps for some of you, the word “family” doesn’t carry a positive association. Maybe your family drives you crazy and you like to keep your distance. Let me help define what family should look like in church.

Years ago, my husband prayed for a young man who was born with an illness. He told Jonathan that if he didn’t receive healing he would never see him again, to which my husband replied, “You don’t just need healing. You need love. You need to know that people are willing to walk with you through the good, the bad, and the ugly.” That is family. Those who will love you no matter the circumstance.

Notice that Jonathan wasn’t asking him to come to our church. I can’t tell you how many relationships I’ve seen dissolve overnight simply because one friend stops going to another friend’s church. Sensitive, sensitive! If anything, such behavior shows conditional friendship. I’ll be your friend if you attend our meeting. Otherwise, see you later! And that’s the problem. Jesus said the world would know we are His disciples by our love for one another. Not by our church association.

Why do I bring this up? Because when we develop a culture that hinges on the sensitive, volatility of fragile relationships, the slightest offense can send the structure of such an entity in a spiral of complete disarray. You know whom else acts in such a way? Secret societies! Sororities, fraternities, and freemasons (to name a few) all require pledges of allegiance to be in their elite club. Though the initiation may be different in each one, all solidarity is broken the moment one person breaks a vow. The church should be different. We shouldn’t sign our names in blood. Jesus bled for us. We shouldn’t rush like Greek life on campus. But more time is spent trying to instill the vision of the pastor and the local church brand than discipling new believers to do the works of Jesus and greater – the actual command Christ gave. Thankfully, even when we are unfaithful, God is still faithful (2 Timothy 2:13).

In saying this, I am not saying quit your church. What I am saying is make sure you surround yourself in a healthy family of believers, not just church members whose friendship banks on whether or not you attend their weekly Sunday service. The construct of church has led us to judge the church experience by its format, not its family. For years, I have seen fiery, passionate, powerful believers fizzle and burn out. Some have abandoned the faith altogether. They’ve attended the most prestigious ministry schools, traveled the world ten times over to preach the Gospel, and have accomplished amazing exploits in the name of Jesus. But somewhere in their journey, they take a wrong turn. It typically begins in one of two ways.

First, they neglect the importance of rest. They feel the constant urge to save the world. What began as a fun adventure turned into a grueling job of striving to please the Lord. The truth is, He is already pleased with you simply because you are His child. And though there is a Great Commission that is largely replaced with glorified busybody church functions, the commandment to preach the Gospel to the world – wherever God may place you – is not to be done without resting in what He has done. We cannot save the world. It has already been saved when Jesus died and was raised from the dead. Most people simply don’t know the Good News yet. They’ve never been told. So how can they believe if they haven’t heard? I often say, I am glad I am not the Holy Spirit. You should be glad too! His Spirit has been poured out on all flesh already. Now we just confirm what He is testifying to others: Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.

When believers are surrounded by the rock stars of Christendom, they can easily feel overwhelmed. This person fasts and prays all the time and sees miracles everyday, the dead raised, thousands of orphans cared and taken care of, and yet they still find time to preach around the world. If I don’t follow their example, I’ll never save the world! In an instant, a formula is created – a step by step program – to see God “move” when the truth is, grace is effortless. I'm not saying that you can't be inspired by others. But never let their accomplishments create a methodology for successful ministry. Jesus was sufficient in doing that! Think about it. In Galatians 5, Paul doesn’t call it the fruit of a believer. He calls it the fruit of the Spirit. God produces fruit supernaturally – effortlessly. The miracles are a byproduct. The adventures are a byproduct. The exploits are a byproduct. It’s arrogant to believe that our efforts can produce the kind of fruit that is only produced by God’s Spirit. It’s prideful to believe that we can twist His arm by “doing” enough to somehow make Him respond. Grace is undeserved, unmerited, and unearned. In other words, you can’t work for it. When rest is neglected and life loses its flavor for fun, burnout is inevitable.

Second, many believers want to hideaway. All I want to do is pray 24/7 and worship around like-hearted believers. Prayer is great. Worship is great. But have you considered that you don’t just pray but you are the prayer? Have you considered that you don’t just worship but you are worship? 2 Corinthians 2:15 says we are the fragrance of Christ ascending to God. It doesn’t distinguish whether or not we are singing, dancing, or praying. You don’t leak the Holy Spirit. You overflow every moment of every day! Abundant life is spilling out everywhere you go! You change the atmosphere just by being you filled with the Holy Spirit. If you don’t believe that, perhaps it’s because you’ve never been told. Faith comes by hearing and we all had to hear this news for the first time at some point in our lives. Maybe, for you, this is a first!

Nothing beats an incredible, loud, power-packed worship gathering. Whether gold dust is spitting out from thin air, it begins to rain inside the building, diamonds fall from the sky, or people start getting healed in bizarre ways, it is nothing short of phenomenal, encouraging, and fun. But then there is coming home when it’s over. My husband calls them Holy Ghost hangovers. You feel on top of the mountain in worship and prayer gatherings one day and the next day you feel like everything else is insignificant. We’ve all been there. And our first instinct is to return to that atmosphere of constant worship and prayer. In that place where our focus is on worshiping Jesus, nobody is fighting, exchanging words of conflict, or being spiteful. What’s not to love about it? It’s heavenly and lovely. In that moment you experience peace we wish the rest of the world would know. But in elevating those experiences in comparison to the day-to-day life of a believer, we must always be aware of the Lord’s unchanging presence in our lives. He is the constant. Separation from Him is an illusion. And when we, as the church, realize the glory of His presence in our everyday lives – whether you’re getting dressed in the morning, driving to work, doing chores, or visiting the dentist – the Holy Ghost hangovers will cease to exist.

The euphoric experience we may sense in those moments of fellowship with like-hearted believers should encourage us in fulfilling the Great Commission, preaching the Gospel to everyone, expecting miracles, signs, and wonders in everyday life. Otherwise, we will seek to only be around others like us all the time. And when we do so, we create a safe space. Suddenly church becomes a country club with a steeple and loses its effectiveness in reaching the brokenhearted, hurt, and lost generation who is looking for coddling rather than realizing they are called to boldness as a radical receiver of God’s unconditional love.

Have healthy fellowship with a family of believers, but don’t let it become a “safe space”. Rather encourage and stir one another to walk boldly in your gifts and calling, no matter which sphere of influence you're called to. Go to church. Go to conferences. But don’t let the desire to be in that atmosphere 24/7 own you. Don’t lose touch with those who need you. Better yet, don’t lose touch with those who need Christ in you. If you’re called to business, education, government, media, entertainment, sports, or whatever it may be – bring that euphoric grace and power of God into that realm to people who would never step inside a wild worship gathering or prayer meeting. Paul, the Apostles, and countless disciples of Christ even today count some things more important than a constructed safe space. Because in Christ is the most secure we can be – even in the face of danger and adversity.