Closing Pandora's Box

“For God gave us a spirit not of fear,

But of power, and love, and self-control.”

2 Timothy 1:7

My daughter gave birth to a baby boy six months ago, her first child, and my sixth grandchild. Watching her care for him, dote on him, and worry about him propels me back in time when I, too, strove to guide and protect my own four children, not only throughout their childhood, but into adulthood as well. Like you, my husband and I sent our children to Catholic school, and we carefully observed and monitored their friend groups. As a family, we attended Mass each week, and did our best to ensure that our children would grow up to be good and faithful citizens. Being a parent was the single-most important task in our lives, and we embraced this role with conviction.

Unlike you, however, my children did not grow up in a time when video games and social media were all-consuming. Initially, advances in technology had a positive impact on society: global access to education and data, and improved ability to communicate helped enhance our lives. But, somewhere along the way, what was designed to be good started to have negative effects, especially on children. Aside from physical and emotional problems associated with too much screen time, our children now have access to a world of influence of which we are unaware, designed especially for them based on the sites they visit and the clicks they initiate. Technology has become addictive; we have opened Pandora’s box, and it is almost impossible to close.

Technology, of course, is here to stay, and we all must be proficient to function in a rapidly changing world. At SMS, we recognize our responsibility to inform our students of the potential dangers, by way of direct classroom instruction and through guest speakers. We also impose upon parents to take a more active role as well. Just as you protected your children from evils and dangers when they were babies, you must now safeguard them from the potential negative influence of social media, gaming, and even email. I strongly encourage you to watch (or re-watch if you are already familiar with this documentary) The Social Dilemma, produced by Netflix in 2020, which lays out the hazards that have evolved in the last decade. I also implore you to limit computer time at home, remove all devices --including TVs -- from your child’s bedroom, and not purchase a cell phone for your child until they are in Eighth Grade (or later). It is likely they will be unhappy, but in the end, it may save them.

I pray that my newest grandchild, and all of our children and grandchildren, will learn and grow and benefit from the multitude of blessings technology has to offer. I also pray that God gives us the strength, knowledge, and wisdom to suppress the threat that this innovation has unleashed, designed to cause us harm.

Deo Gratias, Kathy