BOYS SHOULD BE BOYS - WEEK 3 - CHAPTER 4

BOYS SHOULD BE BOYS: 7 SECRETS TO RAISING HEALTHY SONS by Meg Meeker, M.D.

Oh boy, here we go! It's time to delve into the electronics/screen talk, ( And as I write this, I'm using my screen, right?!) and the pornography talk.

Most of us grew up in the days of handwritten notes and physical books. Some of us were in the transition time between the typewriter and the computer. To this day, and I know this doesn't speak for all of my generation, I prefer a handwritten note in the mailbox and a physical book in my hands to texts and e-books. That's purely my opinion. While at the beach we encountered a day of jellyfish. I immediately mourned that I hadn't bought a book about the marine life around the Gulf area. (My husband told me to take out my phone and use it!) Back to notes - those written gems from the past continue to speak into the future when we pull them out and reread them.

Speaking of the day of jellyfish - how did we know the jellyfish had arrived? A group of boys, probably 10-12 years of age, immediately grabbed their nets and plunged into the water to catch the jellyfish and examine them. The fearless hunters were all about getting an up close and personal experience.

The quote that, "much electronic media...can suck the mind and heart out of a boy" is powerful. We've all seen it. The boy that looks like a zombie until he's holding a screen in his hand or playing a video game. The book reminds us that no one is going to look out for our sons. It's our job!

Before I switch over to pornography, I do want to say that all screen time and all movies with violence are not the same. The use of electronics for research and learning is not the same as endless scrolling in nonsense land. Movies about war and historical situations are not the same as movies with needless violent situations. With that being said, despite the usage of screens and movies for "good purposes," I would never allow a child to stay on a screen for hours upon hours.

Pornography. I remember the time I saw my first Playboy magazine. I was in 5th grade.(This was the 80s.) My Dad had a job transfer away from the country life into the city life for one year. Running around with the neighbor kids, one of the boys showed us a magazine belonging to his uncle. The crazy thing is, I believe my sister was there as well who is 3 years younger than myself.

Gone are the days of the dirty magazines on the top shelves of the drugstores or hidden in boxes in garages. Gone are the days of passing a magazine from one person to another in secret. Now, it's accessible 24/7. Pornography steals from both genders. Males begin to expect an airbrushed, always willing, always available female with zero strings. Their needs are always met and nothing is expected in return. The females - very few measure up to that and when in a relationship with a male that consumes pornography their needs and value can plunge because of it. Marriage and relationships require work without a third unnecessary party involved.

Parents, we have a job to do, and it is to protect our sons! That includes being mindful of what we are watching and allowing in the home as well.

So much more can be said here, but I going to pause and turn the mic  over to someone else! I did snapshot a few recent statistics that I will share in the comments section about today's topic. Feel free to add and reference more.