Teenage Social Media: Worldviews

Everyone has a worldview. “If the average person were asked to describe their worldview, their response would be a blank stare” (Stonestreet, 2008, p. 3). John Stonestreet, author and apologist, goes on to say that everyone has a worldview, “whether they know it or not.” Furthermore, a person’s worldview, specifically their belief about humanity, will influence their behavior. Meaning, a person will live out their beliefs based on their worldview.

A definition for worldview is: “the framework of our most basic beliefs that shapes our view of and for the world and is the basis of our decision and actions.” (Stonestreet, 2008, p. 8) Therefore, a person’s actions and behavior will help confirm their worldview. This doesn’t mean that a person cannot change their worldview, however, as Christians our hope is that people do change and embrace Christ and a Biblical worldview. Imagine a three-tiered triangle, and at the bottom of that triangle are the words, “Worldview,” in the middle are, “Values,” and at the top the words are “Behavior.”  All three of these are foundational and why worldviews do matter. They are correlated and connected to each other.

One of the best places to start when discussing teenage social media, particularly with a group of students within a youth group, is to begin with worldviews. Our culture is saturated with a melting pot of worldviews. In fact, out of that comes a person’s ideology, temptation to cultural relevance, behavior, peer pressure, social media, and all the many things that have invaded our teenagers world. To be quite frank, it really does matter that we teach our students godly things at home. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 is such good instruction. Those verses encourage us as parents to “teach them diligently to your children.” We are to teach and guide our students from the commandments and statutes of the Lord. In doing so, it will have a profound impact on their worldview. Our prayer is that our students adopt, embrace, and commit to a Biblical worldview, and in doing so, their social media is impacted by their love for God.

Resources:

Making Sense of Your World: A Biblical Worldview  ( W. Gary Phillips, William E. Brown, and John Stonestreet.)

Total Truth: Liberating Christianity from Its Cultural Captivity  (Nancy Pearcey)