Today’s kids are disconnecting from parents while they are connecting to the digital world through their smart phones and other digital devices. That is why it is so important for parents and other adults to read the book, Screens and Teens: Connecting with Our Kids in a Wireless World, written by Dr. Kathy Koch. She was on my radio program to talk about the insights in her book.

We began by talking about the five core needs that all of us have. First we have a need for security—Who can I trust? Second, is the question of identity—Who am I? The third deals with belonging—Who wants me? The fourth is purpose—Why am I alive? And the fifth is the issue competence—What do I do well?

She points out that today’s young people tend to be more conflicted about who they are and what they value. Technology is transforming communication while it is also changing the brains of young people. They are being raised by technology but are finding that this technology isn’t as perfect or as nurturing as a teenager might need it to be.

Kathy Koch also talks about the five lies that technology tempts us with. The first is the belief that: “I am the center of my own universe.” Kids can create their own experience. Another lie is the belief that: “I deserve to be happy all the time.” Another lie is the conviction that: “I must have choice.” Adults may be overwhelmed with choice, but young people expect it. To put it simply, variety is their spice of life.

A fourth lie is the conviction that: “I am my own authority.” Teens are making choices using the “universe” and “happiness” as criteria. And that may be one more reason why many young people resist authority including God as the ultimate authority. The final lie is the belief that: “Information is all I need, not teachers.” Why go to the trouble of learning anything when you can simply find it on Google?

We need to challenge the lies that technology is teaching kids and provide biblical principles and scriptural ways to counteract the effects of technology.