Selfie Obessession

The “selfie” has become a pretty popular thing (no news flash there). I have actually found myself taking “group selfies” on our trips with students. And the last couple pics have turned out pretty well…if I do say so myself.

But then I wonder if a group selfie is really a selfie because there are many “selves” and not just a “self” in the picture.

Anyways…this infographic is pretty interesting as it gives the stats on how many selfies are out there. Just think – 93 million selfies taken each day. WOW!

There is a story of how damaging the selfie obsession can be and some tips for people to consider as they take selfies.

Interesting information for parents, teens and those who care about students.

Kingdom Worker Card Challenge

Back in June, we took some of our high school students to the CIY MOVE Conference at Cedarville University. I shared a little bit about our experience in a previous post.

The challenge of any retreat, conference or camp experience is making it stick once you get home. One of the things MOVE offers is the Kingdom Worker Card challenge. Each person at conference is giving a business card size envelope that has a specific challenge. The twist is that each person has to commit to complete the task on the card prior to opening the envelope. I was proud of our students who opened their cards and, in doing so, committed to complete what was on the card.

My card was interesting. It read as follows: For the next year, make a serious effort to not pull our your phone in any social situation. Talk to people, ask questions and tell some jokes.

At first I thought, “No big deal.” But in the 20 days (and counting) since we’ve been home, I’ve found it to be somewhat challenging. It immediately made me aware of how often I pull out my phone to check email, notifications, etc. It has also underscored that I am not a good multi-tasker and usually defer to my phone than engage in a conversation.

While I will look for ways to encourage our students to fulfill what was on their cards, I will need to do the same with mine. Here’s to less screen time and to more face time with those around me.

You Pick: Your Car or Your Phone

Last night I attended an area all-star game where my daughter was one of the players. The crowd was mostly made up of parents, siblings and friends. At the end of the game, a group of high school students to my right were exiting the stands and one of the teen age girls dropped her phone. There was a sudden silence that seemed to grip that area of the gym as all the students paused to see if the phone was damaged. You could almost hear a collective sigh of relief when she picked up the phone and found no cracks. That little event reminded me of an article I received via email last week.

Tim Elmore cited two different sources that showed the importance of cell phones to adolescents. Now I must admit I have been accused of being overly attached to my phone at times, but I found this information to be interesting.

Here’s some of what he shared:

According to recent Pew Research, adolescents put technology in the same category as air and water. They feel they need it to live their lives. In fact, they would rather give up their pinky finger than their cell phone. I interpret this to mean they use their smart phone far more than they do their smallest finger. Incredible.

Furthermore, a study commissioned by a car-sharing company called Zipcar shows that nearly 40 percent of Millennials believe that losing their phone would be a bigger hardship than losing their automobile. They also believe it would be a greater tragedy (so to speak) than losing access to a desktop, laptop or a TV.

So, what would you give up before you let go of your phone?