95% of teens have access to a smartphone, and 45% say they are online ‘almost constantly’.
Earlier this year, I was reading a Pew Research survey looking at social media usage in teens. There were some striking statistics that stood out to me.
95% of teens have access to a smartphone, and 45% say they are online ‘almost constantly’. And the app used most often: Youtube. 85 percent of teenagers (ages 13-17) say they use Youtube, closely behind Instagram (72 percent), and Snapchat (69 percent). If you would like to read the article yourself, you can read it here: http://www.pewinternet.org/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-2018/
Youtube, to me, was always a place to watch funny animal videos or watch movie trailers. But after a couple hours and a deep dive into the “Youtube culture”. I found an entire realm of content creators, influencers, makeup tutorials, documentary filmmakers, pranksters, video game streamers- and (much to my dismay) an entire realm of rather unsettling and creepy content aimed at elementary age children. I linked a very informative TED talk about it here: https://www.ted.com/talks/james_bridle_the_nightmare_videos_of_childrens_youtube_and_what_s_wrong_with_the_internet_today?language=en
Naturally, this begged my curiosity. It’s an interesting place, much different than what I was used to seeing on my Instagram and Facebook feed. And most of the content is just fluff. It’s meant to attract subscribers. The more outrageous a video, the more likely it is to be viewed. Thus, the more money a creator will make. It can be a very dark trap. This past Summer a very popular ‘Youtuber’, Logan Paul, found himself in the middle of that trap: https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/2/16840176/logan-paul-suicide-video-apology-aokigahara-forest
As a youth centered ministry, it’s important that we stay up to date on these different trends. So all that to tell you….…….WE MADE A VLOG!
That is a video-blog….aka a Vlog. And we are doing it for a couple of different reasons. As a summer camp and as a youth ministry, we want to meet kids where they are, but not leave them there. We may be of this world, but we really need to make sure that we are not of it. As followers of Jesus, we have been raised to new life and sent back into the world to free others. Camp allows us the freedom to see the world like we have never seen it before! There is space for us to see, touch, taste, smell, and feel God in small ways, big ways, quiet ways, and loud ways. It is a place for all of us to be loved and become Love. And Sonlight strives to be a place for kids to go outside, be themselves, and learn Who it is that God has made them to be. The experience of camp is life changing.
My hope is that this youtube channel will be a way for kids to connect with Sonlight when they are not at camp. So go check it out: https://youtu.be/6UFIzuviZ0U
This vlog in particular is about how all the things that make Sonlight so special, are exactly the same things that make God so special! And because God is everywhere with us, even when we are not at camp, we can take those special things with us wherever we go! So there are 5 ways in which you can take Sonlight with you wherever you go:
- Unplug!
- Eat Food with Other People!
- Have a Dance Party!
- Go Outside!
- Pray Everyday!
I’ll let you watch the video to find out more! I’m super excited about this, and hope you are too! Stay tuned for more vlogs to come!