For Catholic parents, making decisions about digital media can be hard. Should children be kept away from screens, or can they be taught to properly navigate cyberspace? Digital Age Family Safety is here to answer those questions.
What Is Digital Age Family Safety About?
The latest YouTube series from Family Theater Productions (FTP), in partnership with the Daughters of St. Paul -- a ka the "Media Nuns" -- premiering today, Feb. 17, equips parents and guardians with practical tools for media mindfulness, critical discernment, and protection against dehumanizing content.
Infused with Gospel values, Digital Age Family Safety helps to safeguard the home as a space for authentic faith, encounter, and responsibility amid digital immersion.
FTP National Director Reverend David L. Guffey, C.S.C., said about the series, which releases new episodes on Tuesdays:
A child holding a phone, iPad, or computer, holds a potential doorway to knowledge, education, and fun. But without vigilant care, that doorway may bring vulgarity, violence, and things children are not prepared for. Our new series helps parents get the most from technology for their families, with best practices to protect them from harm.
Who's Featured in Digital Age Family Safety?
Joining host Roberto Arrizón is Sister Nancy Usselmann, F.S.P., a member of the Daughters of St. Paul. Founded in Italy in 1915, the order says on its website, "We are passionate about the new evangelization and the power of the media to transform hearts and to permeate society with the Word of God."
Sister Nancy, a writer, speaker, and film critic, is also the Director of Pauline Media Studies. It helps Catholics of all ages learn media mindfulness, a technique of viewing all forms of information and entertainment through the lens of Christian values.
Helping Parents and Caregivers Help Kids
In each episode of Digital Age Family Safety, Usselmann offers Sister Nancy's Tips for Parents, sets of concise, actionable tools useful for coping with the lightning-fast evolution of digital technology.
She says about the series: "The most important thing is for parents, first of all, to give them encouragement, because this is a very challenging age. Not only do they have to parent their kids, but they have to parent the media that they're watching and engaging with every day, and that's like an added job for parents.
"[The series exists to] help the parents have the tools to work with their kids to determine what is healthiest and what's the most useful means to communicate, and when is it appropriate according to age? And because of brain developmen tand so many studies now about how screens are affecting kids and brains."
Adds series producer Jay Cooney: “With Sr. Nancy's expert advice on media literacy, this series is great for parents and caregivers who want to combine faith, mindfulness, and discernment with their family's use of media and technology in the digital age.”
Using Today's Roman Roads to Spread the Gospel
In the 1940s, FTP's founder, Venerable Patrick Peyton, seized on the hot medium of his day, radio, to reach families with messages of faith, hope, and prayer. Blessed James Alberione, founder of the Daughters of St. Paul, urged his followers to do the same.
Says Usselmann: "That was his whole view. Use every means possible to communicate the Gospel. Nothing is outside of the realm of the message of Christ. So, everything that is human, human ingenuity, anything that's created, technology, can be used for the Gospel, including AI."
One Day the Kids Will Be Grateful
It's not ever easy to help youngsters deal with temptation, especially when it's something as shiny and seductive as Snapchat and video games. But Usselmann encourages parents to do it anyway.
She says, "So, I really encourage parents. Even if the kids kick and scream, in the end, they're going to appreciate you. In the long run, it's going to be maybe many years into the future, but they will be grateful that you helped them through this very volatile time of engaging with media."
Take a look at Digital Age Family Safety:
Image: Sister Nancy Usselmann, F.S.P., and Roberto Arrizón/Family Theater Productions
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