Bad bosses
15 minutes
Say: Digital culture is all about how we connect online through different types of technology and entertainment. This could be on our phones, laptops, tablets and TVs. It could be the music we listen to, videos we watch or areas of the internet we explore. It significantly shapes the way we think, behave, interact with others and communicate as human beings.
Ask the group to shout out pros and cons they think digital culture can have. For example, connecting with family who live abroad using Skype or Facetime, searching the web for information for a school project, being ‘catfished’ online by a fake person or having your social media accounts hacked.
Ask: What aspects of digital culture could help or hinder our faith? This could be having a Whatsapp prayer group with a bunch of friends or it could be watching someone on YouTube falsely interpret the gospel. If time allows, split the group in half and ask them to mind map all of their ideas on flip-chat paper.
Say: Our digital culture can be amazing and dangerous. It is so vast that it can help or hinder our faith.
We need to talk about porn
15 minutes
Say: We’ve identified that our experiences with the digital world can be a mixture of positive and negative. One negative area of the digital world that we just cannot ignore is its link to pornography, and it really is everywhere.
Pornography is sexually explicit videos, images or writing designed to cause sexual excitement. Our experience online is being sexualised, from pop-up adverts on Facebook to suggested videos on YouTube. Users on some sites know what they can and can’t publish, but it doesn’t stop some people from pushing the boundaries with what they post. Just because social media limits what can be published, it doesn’t always mean it’s 100 per cent porn-free. Stumbling onto something inappropriate isn’t uncommon.
Explain that some people say porn isn’t a big deal, but they’re wrong. It’s a topic we need to chat about and it’s a bigger problem that we might think. Play the ‘We need to talk about porn’ clip. Ask: what did you think of that clip? Did you know that it has the power to change your brain? That it can affect your relationships? Did you know that it really is a big deal?
Some of the group may not have been exposed to porn, or not realised they have been in the form of sexualised advertising, so do reassure them that it isn’t something you immediately get addicted to or that everyone becomes addicted. But it is an issue that needs to be talked about. Use this as an opportunity to create a safe space for discussion and opinions to be shared. Porn, in one way or another, affects us all and we want to protect ourselves from it.
Myth busting
10 minutes
A lot of talking has taken place so far, so now it’s time to get everyone running around and getting rid of their nervous ‘porn talk’ laughter! Label one end of the room ‘myth’ and the other ‘fact’. Read out the following statements or ask one of the young people to, and encourage everyone to run to the side of the room they think is correct. Feel free to do some research and add your own!
- Only guys watch porn. Myth! One in three visitors to pornographic websites are female.
- Christians do not watch porn. Myth! Some Christians watch porn; it isn’t only non-religious people.
- Everyone who takes part in a porn film agrees to it. Myth! Many people who are in porn films are forced into it; they may have been victims of human trafficking.
- The average age of a first internet porn exposure is 11 years old. Fact! This age is getting younger.
- Pornography depicts healthy relationships. Myth! Often, women are depicted as objects for men’s pleasure.
- Pornography is a multibillion-dollar industry. Fact! It makes a lot of money!
Say: It’s really important when we talk about any subject that we get our facts straight. There are tons of myths about porn! Ultimately, porn is an unrealistic fantasy that doesn’t do justice to the gift of sex that God has given us.
Sexting
15 minutes
Explain that sexting is sending a sexually explicit image to someone, usually via a smart phone. Lots of people refer to this as sending a ‘nude’ or ‘sext’. Gather the group together and ask if they think sexting and porn are linked. If possible create a debate around this.
Say: Sending a naked image of yourself if you’re under 18 is illegal. It counts as an offence of distributing an indecent image of a child. It could lead to receiving a police caution, and in some cases, could lead to your name being on the sex offenders register. Remind young people that:
- Once an image is in the digital world it is impossible to delete it. It is out there for all to see.
- If you receive a sext and send it on to someone else, you’re responsible for distributing an indecent image of a child, even if it isn’t you in the picture.
Split the group up into two groups. Ask one group to discuss: ‘What should you do if you receive a sext?’ and the other group to discuss: ‘What should you do if someone asks for a sext?’ Feedback to the rest of the group.
Moral dilemma
Print out copies of the following scenario taken from Christianity Today and ask the group to offer advice. Spend some time getting feedback from the group.
I just started dating an amazing guy. We both are Christians and we go to the same church. Before we dated, we talked about what was right and wrong in a relationship, and we decided there would be no sex. We haven’t even kissed – just held hands. However, we talk dirty to each other in text messages (never in person). We don’t feel it’s wrong as long as we use self-control when we’re together. What do you think?
End the session by letting the group know where to go for help and further discussion. This could be specific youth leaders (including yourself), family, friends, websites etc. Remind young people that we have the power of choice and we worship a gracious God.
