Why media matters

The things we read, watch, and listen to affect us. If it were not so, there would be no such thing as marketing. Advertisers know well the power they wield.. 

Just as the things we put into our bodies affect our physical health, the things we put into our minds affect us intellectually, emotionally, socially, and spiritually. 

There are campaigns against unhealthy substances like drugs, alcohol, and tobacco, because these can cause irreparable, lasting harm. We have also been warned against sugar and junk food that can have a negative impact when consumed in excess.

Our brains can also be damaged by what they consume. Consider pornography, the media equivalent of heroin; it is incredibly addictive and causes lasting damage to healthy relationships. Consider the violent and immoral messages in some popular songs that after being repeatedly listened to hundreds of times are permanently ingrained in the psyches of impressionable young people. And consider the hours of screen time filled with the intellectual equivalent of cotton candy. An occasional piece of mindless entertainment is as harmless as an occasional treat; however, a steady diet of pointless sit-coms, cartoons, video games, youtubers and Tik-toks can lead to a mind and heart that are dangerously malnourished.

But it’s also important to understand that skipping out on media entirely is not at all advisable. Just as your body needs nutritious food or you will starve to death, your brain also needs to be nourished and filled with good things. You can’t live life in a vacuum. You are here on earth to learn and grow and gain experience!

So how do we find the good things? There is so much content out there to wade through, and more is created every day! The task feels daunting. But for those who would like to be more intentional about what they put into their own minds and hearts, and want to encourage their children to seek after the good and nourishing, I have decided to create this blog.

I will create posts about books, movies, shows, music, theater, and YouTube channels that I feel like I can recommend as worthwhile. I will tag them by media type and suggested age to make them easier to search. I am a firm believer that we don’t grow out of quality media; even adults can be enlightened and entertained by a well-written picture book or a quality cartoon. So even though my age suggestions may show a smaller range of intended target audience, don’t feel limited by that. In the case of books, I am basing age suggestions on the ability to understand and enjoy the content rather than the reading level.

I encourage you to ingest this media together as a family, discussing the characters and situations, the choices and the consequences, and the themes and applications to your own lives, while also being genuinely entertained and spending time together.

I recognize that opinions and tastes vary greatly from person to person. I don’t expect that everyone will enjoy everything I recommend. But hopefully you will find some new worthwhile things here.

My criteria for judging is simple:

1. It needs to be good quality. That means it is well-written, and where applicable, performed well. It is compelling and interesting and enjoyable. A “good” message slapped onto a poorly written book or haphazard attempt at moviemaking are not “good” and will not be recommended.

2. It needs to portray truth. (Note: This has nothing to do with fiction or non-fiction.) This means the characters are portrayed as imperfect and nuanced, learning and growing, because that is what real people are like. This means less emphasis on good guys and bad guys, and more emphasis on good choices and bad choices. Good actions are portrayed as good and bad actions are portrayed as bad, with real consequences of those choices shown. It should enhance our human experience, broaden our understanding of the world, and encourage us to ask questions and to think deeply about the answers. 

Those are the only two requirements I have. I’m looking for media that is both good AND true. And when I find it, I’ll share it with you on this site.