Your Child Needs to Be on a Diet. Really.

There is growing concern about the quality and quantity being consumed by the newest generations of children and teens today. The diet of our kids is a far cry from that which most of us enjoyed just twenty years ago. It was nutritious and safe and didn't require us to read the fine print to see what it contained. There were secret recipes, but no hidden ingredients.

Kids today are consuming larger and larger quantities and have taken gluttony to a whole new level. And more and more of their intake is filled with artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives that gives it plenty of taste but zero substance. As a result, we're producing kids who are malnourished, lethargic, and unfit. They need to go a diet. Now.

But, if you think the epidemic I'm describing is about childhood obesity, you'd be fair in believing so, but also incorrect. Sadly, I'm acutally describing the growing consumption of media and entertainment by today's children and teens.

While there is cause to be concerned about the choices we make for our children's nutritional health, there should be greater concern about their media consumption and its impact on their mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

As we enter the summer months, it is all-too-easy as parents to allow our children to dine on an all-you-can-eat buffet of television, movies, video games, I-Tunes, and internet use. Inundated with cries of "I'm bored" from our kids, we finally give in and allow them to sit and vegetate in front of the tube for hours on end. Or sometimes we simply need a break, and the DVD player becomes a quick, easy babysitter so we can get our work done in peace and quiet. We feel silly asking our teens to "hang out" with the rest of the family at home, so we allow them to lock themselves away in their rooms and sit mindlessly listening to their I-Pods and texting their friends with their cell phones. Since it is summer vacation, we feel guilty denying our kids the opportunity to go see another movie with their friends or watch a video at someone's home, so we give in. ("But Mom, it's only PG-13!")

The statistics are alarming, yet they are clear. Study after study has proven that the more media a child comsumes (TV, internet, etc) the less likely they are to succeed in school and the more likely they are to suffer from ADD/ADHD. With every hour of television viewed daily by children (all ages), there is a significant decline in reading and math scores and a growing unlikelihood that they will ever earn a college degree.

Perhaps, even more disconcerting than the quantity consumed is the quality of what is being digested. When it comes to our children and their appetite for media, the old adage holds true: You are what you eat. The hallways of our schools demonstrate daily for us what devastating impact media is having on today's generation. Sexual awareness, disrespectful conduct, a lack of honor for authority figures, bullying, lewd jokes, a sense of entitlement, self-centeredness, apathy and hedonism are all growing problems that teachers and schools must now try to address. Yet, most parents are not instilling these immoralities in their kids. So who are they learning them from?

The answer is obvious when you sit and flip through the channels. Even "harmless" programming like the Disney channel and Nickelodeon promote shows that teach children how to act grown-up; teach them how to be sarcastic and apathetic and dismissive of adults; encourage them to follow their hearts and be pleasure-seekers; entice them to pursue romantic relationships; and show them the "rewards" of disregarding their parents' commands.

Hannah Montana is not a role model (regardless of the professed faith of actress Miley Cyrus). It is a program that encourages young children to idolize a celebrity, preparing them to be mindless followers of Britney and Paris and the next pop icon as they grow older. High School Musical (in my opinion) does not qualify as good wholesome entertainment. Evening sitcoms, cable programming, and unsupervised internet use expose our children to smut and open a door to areas they should not be exploring.

We wonder why our young people struggle with Christianity. Why they seem so indifferent about their faith. Why they've never experienced that real breakthrough. Why 86% of them continue to walk away from the church after high school.

Yet, we allow them to feed on garbage six days a week and then somehow think that a mid-week vitamin and a trip to the salad bar on Sundays will solve their spiritual malnutrition.

They need a balanced diet; one rich in worship, prayer, and the Word, with large helpings of Godly fellowship, family togetherness, and self-reflection. Entertainment cannot become the main course; instead, it must be a dessert to enjoy after they've eaten all their dinner.

You may even find that after a steady diet of nutritious meals, they won't have much room left for dessert anyway.

Over the next few weeks, I'm going to disuss further the specific ways that entertainment is robbing our kids of their well-being. I'm also going to share with you some specific ideas and resources that can help you monitor your child's media consumption.

But don't wait... come up with a plan and get your kids on a media diet. They may be reluctant at first, perhaps even angry. After all, nobody really likes to be on a diet, do they? But we sure do appreciate the results of an effective one. With a little effort, and a strong conviction, your media plan will help ensure that you are raising healthy kids. And that's what really matters.

Talk Back: What suggestions do you have for monitoring your child's media use? Do you have a summer plan in place that you could share with others? Do you use any specific resources, products, or devices to help control what your children see? Do you agree/disagree with the statements made here about the appropriateness of some "programming for children"? To post a comment (either by name or anonymously), click on "comments" and follow the instructions.