What Society and Technology Are Teaching Our Kids
The latest episode of the Clearly Christian podcast features a conversation with Maria Baer, a journalist, podcaster, and co-host of Breakpoint This Week with John Stonestreet of the Colson Center. Together, they explore the immense challenges of raising children in today's digital age, highlighting the importance of mental, emotional, and spiritual health.
The “Great Rewiring” of Childhood
Dr. Smith opens the episode by referencing Jonathan Haidt’s influential book The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness. Haidt points to the early 2010s as a pivotal period when children were handed smartphones, triggering what he calls “the largest uncontrolled experiment humanity has ever performed on its own children.” Dr. Smith underscores the concern this raises for Christian parents: “We don’t want to rewire our children to exist in a culture that produces anxiety and depression.”
The program centers around two important points. We call them "Chalkboard Points".
Chalkboard Point #1:
It’s a fact that humans are made in God’s image, and this truth is foundational to raising children. Their development depends on the right kinds of experiences at the right time, not what’s chosen by strangers or algorithms.
Chalkboard Point #2:
The years of upper elementary and middle school are crucial for a child’s development. Parents need to protect their children from dangerous cultural messages, and Christian education offers the best opportunity to do so.
The Failure of Public Schools
Maria shares her journey of choosing Christian education for her daughters: “Every public school in our city district has a failing grade from the state... So that was our first sort of red flag even before considering cultural issues.” She explains how public schools, while struggling academically, also expose children to ideologies that conflict with biblical truths, such as teachings on gender and identity.
Baer emphasizes that Christian education goes beyond just reinforcing faith; it also provides a holistic approach to learning: “They are learning rigorous world history, geology, math, obviously literacy... all these things can reveal the truth about God's word and himself.”
Dr. Smith agrees, noting that today’s Christian schools prepare students not just spiritually but also academically by confronting cultural issues: “We’re teaching them the intricacies of evolution so they can defend creation... you have to understand the opponents' arguments to engage effectively.”
The Battle for Truth in the Digital Age
A recurring theme in the episode is how technology and the digital world are shaping the next generation. Maria shares an anecdote about how her third grader spotted a falsehood about the Big Bang in a schoolbook and flagged it during class. “We have a game in our family called ‘Spot the Lie,’” she explains, encouraging her children to critically evaluate everything they encounter.
The conversation also delves into how digital exposure affects brain development and social behavior. Maria references research showing how excessive screen time can impair a child’s ability to differentiate sounds and colors. “All of those things can contribute to literally changing the way our brains are able to process the world,” she notes, highlighting the need for physical and hands-on learning experiences that are often neglected in tech-driven educational environments.
The Clearly Christian podcast featuring Maria Baer emphasizes the importance of equipping children with a biblical worldview while protecting them from the harmful effects of today’s digital and cultural landscape. Their discussion underscores the critical role of Christian education in raising a generation that is mentally, emotionally, and spiritually healthy.
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