<\/p>\n
On January 26, 1926, a Scottish inventor named John Logie Baird invited a small audience to witness something never seen before: moving images transmitted electronically. It was the world\u2019s first live public television broadcast. At the time, no one could have foreseen how much this event would alter all aspects of modern living.<\/p>\n
One hundred years later, television\u2014and by extension all video-based social media platforms\u2014dominates our daily routines. Screens wake us up, keep us company during meals, follow us into our bedrooms, and shape how we relax, learn, and view the world.<\/p>\n
According to recent studies, the average American spends 5.5 hours per day watching TV\/video content, and the average teenager consumes a staggering 9 hours of entertainment media per day (not including time spent using media for school or homework). On the other hand, only 16 percent of Americans say they read their Bible every day.<\/p>\n
That contrast is striking.<\/p>\n
To be clear, television and digital media are not inherently evil. Like fire or electricity, they are tools\u2014powerful ones\u2014that can be used for good or for harm. Educational programs have taught generations to read. Documentaries have expanded our understanding of the world. Sermons, Bible studies, and other faith-based content now reach millions at the tap of a screen.<\/p>\n
The problem isn\u2019t that we watch\u2014it\u2019s what we watch, how much we watch, and what we prioritize spending our time on.<\/p>\n
Even the briefest look at any of today\u2019s most popular TV channels or social media platforms will instantly reveal that the more inflammatory and salacious a video, the more popular it is. According to an article published in Forbes: \u201cThe algorithm doesn\u2019t reward truth\u2014it rewards hostility. If an accurate news report gets less engagement than a sensationalized falsehood, the falsehood wins.\u201d<\/p>\n
This doesn\u2019t just apply to news, but to all forms of video content. Provocation reigns, and outrage is all the rage. What we consume to unwind winds up leaving us anxious, overstimulated, and numb instead.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s even more dire when it comes to developing minds. \u201cToday\u2019s children and teens do not know a world without digital technology, but the digital world wasn\u2019t built with children\u2019s healthy mental development in mind,\u201d states the American Academy of Pediatrics.<\/p>\n
So how can we find our way in a world saturated with digital noise?<\/p>\n
The Bible tells us \u201cthere is nothing new under the sun\u201d (Ecclesiastes 1:9). Television may be only a century old, but distraction and misinformation have always been the enemy\u2019s primary tools. Entertainment is nothing but the same tactic in different packaging.<\/p>\n
What we consistently take in doesn\u2019t stay on the outside. It shapes our values, trains our desires, and influences our minds. A 2023 study found that repeated exposure to wrongdoing\u2014known as the moral repetition effect\u2014dulls our emotional response, so each time we see it, we judge it as less unethical, gradually reshaping our moral compass.<\/p>\n
Is it any wonder Satan relentlessly uses our screens to flood our lives with corrupting content?<\/p>\n
It\u2019s for this very reason that Jesus warned us: \u201cThe lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness\u201d (Matthew 6:22, 23).<\/p>\n
What we give our time, attention, and affection to doesn\u2019t just fill our schedule\u2014it forms our hearts. If our daily diet is mostly trivial, violent, or hopeless content, our spiritual and mental lives will reflect it. Fortunately, God has given us the gift of choice, as He says, \u201cBehold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me\u201d (Revelation 3:20).<\/p>\n
Reject Satan\u2019s fear and anxiety-inducing fare and choose to dine with Jesus.<\/p>\n
In a digital world rife with chaos, every time we choose God-honoring media, we reject Satan\u2019s fear and anxiety-inducing fare and choose to dine with Jesus. And although deciding what media to allow into our lives may seem like navigating a minefield, thankfully, we have a sure guide: God\u2019s Word.<\/p>\n
So what does biblical content look like? The apostle Paul\u2019s words are especially helpful in making our viewing decisions: \u201dWhatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable\u2014if anything is excellent or praiseworthy\u2014think about such things\u201d (Philippians 4:8).<\/p>\n
How\u2019s your digital plate looking lately?<\/p>\n
Here are three practical and biblical steps to help make faithful media choices.<\/p>\n
God\u2019s Word has always been transformative\u2014but never before has it been so accessible. Today, sermons, Bible studies, and faith-based programming can reach people across the globe instantly.<\/p>\n
The question is whether we will choose media that merely entertains\u2014or media that actually nourishes.<\/p>\n
As we reflect on a century of television, this anniversary invites us to ask an honest question: How are my viewing choices shaping my thoughts?<\/p>\n
It may not be necessary to turn screens off entirely, but to intentionally turn them to something better.<\/p>\n
Learn to understand the Bible and sharpen your spiritual discernment with Pastor Doug\u2019s free book, The Ultimate Resource<\/em>.<\/p>\n Your Next Read<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tA Continent Ripe for Harvest<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" On January 26, 1926, a Scottish inventor named John Logie Baird invited a small audience to witness something never seen before: moving images transmitted electronically. It was the world\u2019s first live public television broadcast. At the time, no one could have foreseen how much this event would alter all aspects of modern living. One hundred<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17728,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[503,2435,348,238,5670,180],"class_list":["post-17727","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-bible-trivia","tag-century","tag-eternal","tag-faith","tag-gods","tag-screen","tag-word"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17727","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=17727"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17727\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/17728"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=17727"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=17727"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=17727"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}