What’s the Matter with Kids?

It's not only a lyric from a more-than-60-year-old theater musical (Bye Bye Birdie, for all you Dick Van Dyke fans). It's also a question being asked by parents across the land, especially thanks to the timely new Netflix hit Adolescence.

You've probably seen it already, considering it has become one of Netflix's all-time most popular series after only three weeks.

And the views are not coming only from the U.S. and the U.K., but from countries around the world. It is - in every sense of the word - a phenomenon.

In case you don't know, the series is about 13-year-old boy who is arrested for the murder of a classmate. It explores the particular darkness of modern adolescence, the impact of the boy's actions on his family, and the toxic online spaces that may have contributed to the crime.

So why am I writing about this particular series in a newsletter devoted to Christian broadcasters?

Because you, my friends, are part of the solution. If you are up to the challenge.

See, lots of content on Christian music stations is about families, but most of it is about "what to do" with families. And while providing a roadmap to local kid-friendly activities is nice, it's nothing unique to Christian radio or any radio for that matter. It's just not special.

But wait, you say. We are also "family-safe" programming! No dirty lyrics or questionable morning show content! True, that. But kids today don't need only parent-approved music platforms and morning shows. They need much more. And you are uniquely positioned to provide it to them.

One of the most important books of the past year is The Anxious Generation by sociologist Jon Haidt. In it, Haidt condemns kids' addictions to devices (especially smartphones) which have removed them from the real world and trapped them in a virtual one, where parents and teachers compete for kids' attention against platforms designed by multi-billion dollar corporations which care nothing about adolescent development but everything about clicks and swipes and likes and shares and comments ad infinitum.

Parents are sick of it. Teachers are sick of it. And kids are made sick by it.

The conclusion was clear:

Haidt offered four practical steps that are now slowly rolling out across communities throughout the country:

1. No smartphones before high school
2. No social media before age 16
3. Phone-free schools
4. More independence, free play, and responsibility in the real world

So here's the big question: What are YOU doing to drive these practical steps in your community?

You may be doing a lot to give kids a clean listening environment or a good time at the local adventure park, but what are you doing to improve their lives and guide them through the perils of modern adolescence?

If our goal is to help people lead better, more Christ-like lives, then our goal also is to help their kids lead mentally healthier and developmentally sound lives, right?

What better service could you provide to Christian parents?

But are you behind an initiative like this one?

Are you behind an initiative addressing the toxic topics covered in one of the most popular Netflix series of all time?

Why not?

Mark Ramsey Media does audience research for Christian Media - Perceptual research, digital studies, donor studies, music studies, etc. Learn more here. Call Mark at 858-414-4191 or email markramsey@mac.com.

And if you want a strategy to solicit major donors to pay for your research, look here and download this Listener Impact Study solicitation for donors from WAKW-FM.

Want to sign up for this newsletter? Do that here.