Self Image Archives - Jonathan's Blog From The Source

My TV Interview in Canada

Posted on: 10/1/19 3:30 AM | by Jonathan McKee

Last week Canadian TV show 100 Huntley Street had me in the studio talking about how to help today’s young guys battle the four biggest distractions in their lives…

I touch on all four in this 11 minute interview.

Here’s a peek…

If you are looking for a tool to help a young man fight these battles… this book might be exactly what you’re looking for: The Guy’s Guide to Four Battles Every Young Man Must Face.

Posted in Books, Parenting, Self Image, Sexuality, Smartphones/Cell Phones, Social Media, TV | Tags: lust, Porn, self esteem, teen guys, teen temptation, Weed | Leave A Comment

Instagram Hides “Likes”

Posted on: 07/23/19 5:47 AM | by Jonathan McKee

In the last year we’ve seen some really positive strides by tech and social media giants to actually help the mental health of its users…last year when IOS and Droid released new updates that includes screen time limits, downtime, etc… and now Instagram testing (lets just hope it lasts) hiding the likes everyone receives in effort to create a “less pressurized environment.”

This is HUGE for young people today.

It’s like this:

Kristy posts a picture of her new shoes and gets 32 likes Continue reading “Instagram Hides “Likes””

Posted in Self Image, Smartphones/Cell Phones, Social Media | Tags: Instagram, mental health, self esteem, smartphones, social media | Leave A Comment

Helping Teens Become Wise with Their Screens

Posted on: 05/15/19 3:22 AM | by Jonathan McKee

How should parents, mentors, teachers and youth workers respond to a generation that can’t seem to pry their eyes from their screens? The answer is conversations… and here is a YouTube video where I present four necessary conversations we need to have with today’s young people!

This is a talk I gave at Summit Ministries’ Basecamp event in Colorado Springs last week… and they just posted my talk to YouTube! The topic was helping teens become wise with their screens… only 30 minutes and change. Enjoy! (He introduces me at 4 minutes and 30 seconds into the video.) Continue reading “Helping Teens Become Wise with Their Screens”

Posted in Internet, Music, Parenting, Self Image, Smartphones/Cell Phones, Social Media, Youth Culture | Tags: screen time, smartphones, social media | Leave A Comment

Just do you

Posted on: 07/12/18 6:35 AM | by Jonathan McKee

Next week I’ll be at a conference speaking to young people about deciphering truth in the midst of lies. We’ll be looking at several influences like social media, music and other entertainment media, observing the subtle messages they communicate.

Let’s try one.

Here’s a Diet Coke commercial you may have seen– I saw it in a movie theater before the most recent Avengers movie Continue reading “Just do you”

Posted in Entertainment Media, Self Image, Youth Culture | Tags: entertainment media, teaching discernment | Leave A Comment

Refreshingly brutal advice to young guys

Posted on: 04/24/18 3:30 AM | by Jonathan McKee

Today’s guys face a lot of distractions… a lot more than I faced as a young man.

Let’s be honest. When I was 13 in 1983 I had access to porn, drugs, and raunchy entertainment media.

But porn wasn’t just a click away in my pocket, it was in a magazine at my friend’s house if we dared to sneak into his dad’s bedroom.
Marijuana was available, but it wasn’t mainstream or encouraged… and it sure wasn’t legal.
I loved movies, music and television, but my house had one screen and a boombox. Now I have a dozen screens, and my entire entertainment media library is available in the cloud. Name a movie or music video. I can watch it within seconds, regardless of rating.

But I think the biggest difference between then and now is Continue reading “Refreshingly brutal advice to young guys”

What age should my kid be on social media?

Posted on: 03/16/18 10:21 AM | by Jonathan McKee

It’s one of the biggest questions I hear from parents at my workshops each month. “What age should I let my kids have a smartphone?” or “What age should I allow them to get SnapChat, Insta and all the other social media apps they want?”

We’ve posted some great resources on TheSource4Parents.com recently that will help answer that question, including a brand new article posted just this week titled, Parenting Middle Schoolers: More Than Just Surviving This Transitional Phase. But parents of high school students shouldn’t ignore that article, because in the early part of the article where I talk about “Delaying Social Media” I not only provide some brand new research about the undeniable connection from social media to the rise of depression in America, but I also provide some helpful questions you can ask your kids to engage them in meaningful conversation about this subject Continue reading “What age should my kid be on social media?”

Posted in Entertainment Media, Internet, Parenting, Self Image, Smartphones/Cell Phones, Social Media | Tags: mobile devices, parenting help, smartphones, social media, teen depression, teens and social media | Leave A Comment

3 Reasons Why Today’s Teens are Depressed More Than Ever Before

Posted on: 10/31/17 11:33 AM | by Jonathan McKee

If you’ve picked up a newspaper in the last few months, you’ve probably noticed article upon article about the rise of teen anxiety, depression and suicide. It was just last year that suicide moved up to the second-leading cause of death among US teens.

The question everyone is wondering is why?

Experts are speculating, and most of their theories have one “device” in common: the smartphone.

I can’t say I disagree. In fact, I see 3 ingredients catalyzing this unprecedented increase in teen anxiety and depression Continue reading “3 Reasons Why Today’s Teens are Depressed More Than Ever Before”

Posted in Entertainment Media, Internet, Parenting, Self Image, Social Media, Youth Culture | Tags: anxiety, Depression, smartphone, social media, suicide, teen depression | Leave A Comment

Why 13 Reasons Why

Posted on: 05/1/17 3:30 AM | by Jonathan McKee

Suicide, upskirt photos, social media, bullying… it’s almost as if someone posted a hidden camera in the hallways of the high school down your street. The realism is a little too close to home, and parents are beginning to worry.

Should our kids be watching this?

If you have teenagers, work with teenagers or even have crossed paths with a teenager in the last month, you probably have heard them talking about 13 Reasons Why. It’s the newest bingeable series from Netflix touching on everything teenager Continue reading “Why 13 Reasons Why”

Posted in Discussion Ideas, Entertainment Media, Internet, Movies, Parenting, Self Image, TV, Youth Culture | Tags: 13 reasons why, binge watching, entertainment media, Netflix, parenting, rape, social media, suicide | Leave A Comment

Do Carl’s Jr.’s Sexy Ads Sell?

Posted on: 03/10/16 9:43 AM | by Jonathan McKee

Does sex sell?

Carl’s Jr./Hardee’s is known for their over-the-top sexy ads. From Paris Hilton sensually washing a Bentley while eating a burger, to two girls getting in a scuffle at the BBQ grill and seductively intertwining to eat the Memphis BBQ burger.

The question is… do these ads actually sell burgers?
Continue reading “Do Carl’s Jr.’s Sexy Ads Sell?”

Posted in Jonathan's Rant, Parenting, Self Image, Sexuality, TV | | Leave A Comment