teenagers Archives - Jonathan's Blog From The Source

The CDC, teen risks, and who is vulnerable

Posted on: 06/19/18 3:40 AM | by Jonathan McKee

Fewer high school students are drinking, having sex and using drugs… but the CDC still says the findings of their most recent teen risk assessment “leaves room for concern.”

And please don’t undervalue my use of the word “fewer.” I really mean “a whole bunch!” We’re not talking a few percentage points. For example, in 1997 a whopping 37% of kids “currently” smoked cigarettes (in the 30 days prior to the survey). In 2017 only 8% “currently” smoke cigarettes. That’s a huge decrease!

Why is this? Why the overwhelming decrease in the number of kids engaging in many of these risky behaviors, and what are these concerns the CDC is referencing about their new survey results?

Let me give you the quick answers:

Why are today’s kids engaging in less sex, taking less drugs… even smoking less marijuana (yes, really) …than kids in years prior? A few months ago Continue reading “The CDC, teen risks, and who is vulnerable”

Posted in Entertainment Media, Sexuality, Youth Culture | Tags: CDC, condoms, high school students, risky behaviors, sexual activity, stds, teenagers, YRBS | Leave A Comment

Helping Teens Press Pause

Posted on: 06/12/18 1:00 AM | by Jonathan McKee

Whenever I talk with young people about their mobile devices I ask, “How many of you think people are spending too much time staring at their devices?” An overwhelming majority of hands will go up.

Yet if you followed those same teens for 24 hours, you’d probably catch them “spending too much time staring at their devices.” (And before we start labeling anyone hypocritical… adults are in the same boat).

Let’s review. Teens are aware that phones monopolize too much of their time, but they aren’t really doing much about it.

So why not Continue reading “Helping Teens Press Pause”

Posted in Parenting, Smartphones/Cell Phones | Tags: Media fast, mobile devices, parenting, smartphone addiction, smartphones, teenagers | Leave A Comment

Everything’s different in just 5 years

Posted on: 05/29/18 3:30 AM | by Jonathan McKee

A few months ago I was eating dinner with a couple who had been in youth ministry for several decades, took a 5 year break, and just began serving in youth ministry again this year. The husband leaned over to me and said, “Jonathan, everything’s different! I’ve got kids who say they’re ‘pan’ or ‘a-gender’. I’ve got a girl who doesn’t want to be a she or even a he… she wants to be a ‘they.'” Then he asked me, “What the heck has happened in the last 5 years?!!”

Great question. And I answered it in this quick little YouTube video…

This is what prompted us to launch the Anchored Leadership Conference… check it out HERE! (One day early bird registration is this Thursday!)

Posted in Entertainment Media, Speaking/Training, Youth Culture | Tags: Anchored Leadership Conference, teenagers, youth culture, youth ministry | Leave A Comment

Lil Dicky gets a lil raunchy (and how parents should respond)

Posted on: 04/10/18 3:30 AM | by Jonathan McKee

The song debuted in the top 10 on Billboard’s Hot 100. The music video is full of celebrity cameos and has already garnered over 100 million views. When I mentioned that particular song speaking at a church last Sunday morning, teens in the audience literally shouted, “Yeah!” in acclamation (and I mentioned about a dozen songs).

I’m talking about the brand new racy music video from Lil Dicky, Freaky Friday, where Lil Dicky wakes up as Chris Brown and Chris Brown as Lil Dicky. The music video is creative, kids think it’s hilarious, and it’s full of sexual references and imagery. Continue reading “Lil Dicky gets a lil raunchy (and how parents should respond)”

Posted in Entertainment Media, Music, Parenting, Social Media, Youth Culture | Tags: Chris Brown, engaging teenagers in conversation, Freaky Friday music video, Lil Dicky, parenting, teenagers | Leave A Comment

Gunning Your Kids Down

Posted on: 02/26/18 6:48 AM | by Jonathan McKee

Today’s young people might be a little more familiar than you think with solving their problems with a gun… because they literally hear it all the time.

“Got an AK on my lap”

“Call up on an Uzi”

I find it intriguing that while the world is debating the gun issue, the majority of the musical “artists” in the top 10 right now have songs about revenge, “popping” people, or gunning you down… and I kid you not… some will even tell you what assault rifle and which high capacity clip they prefer Continue reading “Gunning Your Kids Down”

Posted in Entertainment Media, Jonathan's Rant, Music, Youth Culture | Tags: drake, gun control, Migos, music, school shooting, teenagers | Leave A Comment

Is Snapchat and Snapmaps safe?

Posted on: 09/26/17 3:30 AM | by Jonathan McKee

It’s the number one app kids use, and it’s the number one app parents ask me about at my parent workshops. I hear it all the time:

Is Snapchat bad?

Should I let my daughter use Snapchat?

Or more recently…

Is SnapMaps dangerous? Should I advise my daughter to go “Ghostmode”?

It’s something I’ve written articles about in detail, and something I always devote time to when I’m addressing students directly about wise posting in an insecure world. So what do Mom and Dad need to know about this app, especially with its fun new feature called “SnapMaps” where your Snap friends can see your exact locations on a map at all times? Continue reading “Is Snapchat and Snapmaps safe?”

Posted in Internet, Parenting, Smartphones/Cell Phones, Social Media, Youth Culture | Tags: parenting, Snapchat, snapmaps, teenagers | Leave A Comment

The words I’ve been waiting for…

Posted on: 09/18/17 3:30 AM | by Jonathan McKee

“In stock”

I’ve had sooooooooo many parents asking me about this book for their teens/tweens… it’s so good to see it finally “in stock” ( over two weeks early). I received boxes of them Friday, and Amazon began shipping them Saturday.

Enjoy the book! Here’s what those who screened the book for me said about it:

“McKee’s best yet. This book will most definitely be the new ‘phone contract’ today’s parents use to engage their kids in meaningful conversation about their use of technology. Required reading for any teenager.”
—Doug Fields, Author of Speaking to Teenagers and 7 Ways to Be Her Hero Continue reading “The words I’ve been waiting for…”

Posted in Books, Smartphones/Cell Phones, Social Media | Tags: parenting, smartphones, Snapchat, social media, teenagers, The Teens Guide to Social Media and Moblile Devices, wise posting | Leave A Comment

Stalking Your Daughter

Posted on: 09/12/17 3:30 AM | by Jonathan McKee

Yesterday I told my friend Brian, “I hope you don’t mind, I stalked your daughter last week on her Instagram account to see if she was posting anything dangerous.”

Sound creepy? I guess it is. Good thing it was just me.

Brian knows I research this stuff all the time, and my new book helping teenagers “think before you post” is coming out next week (kinda cool, the publisher just told me the books are in and have already shipped to my website and Amazon). So last week his daughter was my guinea pig.

The good news: so far she was being really wise with her Continue reading “Stalking Your Daughter”

Posted in Parenting, Smartphones/Cell Phones, Social Media, Youth Culture | Tags: kids, location services, online safety, pedophile, privacy settings, smartphone, Snapchat, snapmaps, social media, stalker, teenagers | Leave A Comment

Back to School Conversations

Posted on: 08/23/17 3:03 PM | by Jonathan McKee

If your kids aren’t already back to school, they’re headed there. Sure that means new classes, homework, and all that goes along with the academic aspects of school… but that also means navigating new and old friendships, trying to fit in, and wondering if everyone likes you, not just at school, but also on every app with a like button.

This is where you come in. The typical response from caring adults like parents, grandparents, coaches and youth pastors is to ask about school Continue reading “Back to School Conversations”

Posted in Discussion Ideas, Parenting, Youth Ministry Philosophy | Tags: back to school, conersations, dialogue, get your teenager talking, parenting, teenagers | Leave A Comment