Let's hop right in and get to the first question. Is Television Bad?
First-off, let's refocus the question: Is television in and of itself bad? The quick answer is no. Television is a mode of communication. Therefore, it can be used for good or for bad. This mode of communication in itself is not bad. (In our modern world there can even be benefit in having some level of skills and
knowledge relating to the use in order to reach other people.)
The better question to be asking is: Can modern television do harm to us? And when is it doing harm, and when is it doing good?
Throughout our whole lives, and in a special way in our earliest years, the messages being communicated to us are going to make their imprint on our brains and psyches. And the messages that make their imprint on our brains and psyches can ultimately affect our souls. What our eyes, ears, and imaginations learn to focus on is what our hearts will focus on.
"For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be."
The psychological effects of what enters our brains and the way in which it enters into our brains are vast, but one thing I will say is that once a habit or mindset is built in it is incredibly difficult to get out of (sometimes even to see outside of). Thoughts and habits "take root" so-to-speak. We see this on the extreme end when it comes to addictions.
"With all vigilance guard your heart, for in it are the sources of life."
~ I highly encourage checking out this entire scripture passage! ~
I will note that most likely 99% (or more) of the messages being received on television are not of the Lord. Even most "milder" shows tend to include an excessive use of derogatory language, objectification, and focus on building up our fortune in "the kingdom of this world" rather than fixing our eyes on the Kingdom of God.
So is the answer that we simply have to make sure to find relatively innocent content and then any amount of television intake is safe and unharmful?
It may seem this way, and I'm not denying the fact that every now and then (probably more often than that) parents could use a diversion to keep their kids occupied while they take a self-care break. I'm not a parent, but I may one day be, and my understanding is that everything I have just said is an understatement that I may understand more and more as I go through life. (I'm not trying to portray having kids in a negative light but simply acknowledge that parenting is draining and we are not 24/7 demi-gods in any sort.) Anyhow...
Let's get to answering the question above.
While an all-out ban on any form of television is probably not necessary in order to help your children grow in holiness, I do think not only what they watch but the amount of time they spend fixated on this medium matters greatly. Here's why.
We have to keep in mind that it is JUST AS IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER not only what content/voices/messages television is providing us with but what it is covering up.
In our day and age I would argue there is this thing called "information
addiction." I argue this, because it is something I often struggle with
and is an impediment to prayer (by this I mean time specifically set aside
to meditate on and communicate with our Lord) and maintaining a
prayerful outlook on life (which ultimate can turn everything into a
prayer).
In reading The Diary of St. Faustina, one of the verses I recently read that truly stuck out to me was when Christ spoke to St. Faustina about the kinds of souls that do and don't please Him.
"The Lord gave me to know how displeased He is with a talkative soul. I find no rest in such a soul. The constant din tires Me, and in the midst of it the soul cannot discern My voice."
(from The Diary of St. Faustina, p. 387, paragraph 1008)
It was a good call-out for me too (Miss Social-Media-Frenzy).
What we take in is what we put out (Matthew 15:17), so if our minds are (trained/wired to be) constantly racing and grasping for stimulation, constantly distracted (an experience I find myself caught in quite often), the Lord cannot reach us and touch our hearts in the way He wants to.
Then the LORD said: Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD; the LORD will pass by. There was a strong and violent wind rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the LORD—but the LORD was not in the wind; after the wind, an earthquake—but the LORD was not in the earthquake; after the earthquake, fire-- but the Lord was no in the fire; after the fire a light silent sound. When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.
According to the world of Pinterest, this quotation is from Joel Osteen.
Ah! Silence! It's beautiful and yet difficult for many of us to sit in (myself included)-- when our brains want to go run a marathon and Jesus is saying "Just come sit in My presence."
It is honestly unreasonable to expect ourselves to be able to go from one to four hours of phone scrolling and TV watching and enter into a few minutes of silent prayer. Our brains are not physically WIRED to do this! That is why we need to build habits that will help us be more able to touch and commune with the Lord, to have our hearts of quiet and our ears on alert.
So there it is:
Just tell our kids to sit around quietly in the chapel listening for Jesus' voice all day...
JUST KIDDING! 😂 Kids are a BUNDLE of energy, but they also live in a world of awe where things that may seem small to adults (like a bird twittering in the tree or a squirrel playing chase) can latch on their attention and amaze them.
Kids can find God everywhere while being kids. (Of course, setting aside time specifically for prayer is very important, but throughout the day kids can learn to experience God's love in other ways as well.) Kids can find God in the creation of their "make believe" play, in their laughs and their giggles. They can learn to recognize and discern His voice and His special role in building up skills, in books, in reading, in dancing, in singing, in gymnastics, in sports... And, yes, from time to time they can even find Him speaking to them through television. :)
It's all about the lense through which they learn to see the world and answer questions like: Where is the world from? Who am I made for? Why do I long for love? etc. God communicates His love in SO MANY beautiful ways, and our job is to learn to recognize that.
God says to become like children, so we certainly don't want to be discouraging kids being kids. We just want to build on beautiful aspects of children and childhood: bringing in recognition of Love, of Gift, of standing up for what is right and respecting others as our brothers and sisters in Christ.
A few very IMPORTANT notes to make before I go:
By the way! Not watching television or not watching "much" television won't in and of itself make your children saints! Once again, what matters is not only what isn't entering into our children's minds but also what IS.
Also, this article isn't to pass judgment on parents who like to use watching television as a filler or incentive for their children. Very saintly people have come from families that watch television. This isn't all-or-nothing perfect cause-and-effect. I just think it's much easier to build up saints when we turn down the constant chatter that is modern day media in order to not drown out the One Voice that matters most.
Instead we can teach our children to attune to their eyes/ears/mouth/nose in learning to pray, in experiencing God's kiss through nature, in seeing Christ in others, in humble submission to God's Will), etc. etc. -- First and formost guided by our own example.
It's not about pride. It's about intentionality.
For those who actually do decide to embark on the excursion of raising their children with limited television/technology interception, it is sooo important to remember that we (I say that as if I have kids... maybe someday haha) are not doing this to be BETTER than other families, to somehow be SUPERIOR to our neighbors or to that other family at Church that lets their kids watch hours of television a day.
We are living this way simply as a means (something we hope will bear good fruit) in helping our children to become saints. We are simply trying to build habits in our kids that will set them up to be more in tune to hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit.
That is all.
"Let all that you do be done with love."
(1 Corinthians 16:14)
