The headline in the paper couldn't help but catch my attention: "Parents learn to raise tots in a 'selfie' world.
Great! Some folks are so taken with themselves that they'll post pictures of themselves in any and every situation. You can't help but get the feeling that a lot of these pictures are taken with an attitude of "Hey! Look at me! Look at me!"
Now we're encouraging our kids to take selfie's. Toddlers too. The article in the paper told a story about a Mom shooting a video about an upcoming party when suddenly her three year old, the star of the video, lunged for the phone, shouting, "Mom, can I see it!" He could even wait until she had finished with the video.
Some researchers are concerned that taking too many pictures or videos of children and then playing them back instantly might lead to behavior problems in kids.
Selfie's, it seems to me, teach kids how to be selfish and self-centered.
And, come to think about it, that's something none of us need to be taught.
People are sinful by nature. Everyone. We were conceived in sin. We are naturally selfish and self-centered.
Encouraging such behavior is exactly what Satan would have us do. When our attention and focus is entirely on ourselves, we'll have no time to think about others and our relationship with the Lord can only suffer.
Seems to me, appealing to Eve's selfish nature was the way that the devil brought sin into the world. The devil, of course, made it sound like God was the selfish one. "Did God really say?" the devil asked Eve. After Eve botched up the Word of God (by adding "and you must not touch it") Satan told the lie of all lies - "Eat it, Eve, and you'll be like God, knowing good and evil!"
God had already taught the first couple the truth about good and evil. But Satan was too smooth, too glib for Eve. Her selfish, sinful nature liked the look of the fruit. She ate. Adam ate. Devil won. Sin entered the world.
Parents, be careful about how much you let your kids use your smart phones and iPads. Teach them that this world is not all about "me, myself and I." Teach them, also, to love God and to love their neighbor. Showing your kids what real love and concern about others is one way, it seems to me, that parents can learn to raise tots in a 'selfie' world.
