The Internet…A Youth Leader’s Ally!
How would you answer the following questions?
- What are the top three influencers in a teen’s life?
- What is the subject matter of the top five books on the youth reading list?
- What are the lyrics to the top five most played songs by teens?
- What do you know about the artists’ lives and lifestyles?
The really great news is that all the information to answer these questions is just a few clicks away via an internet search. The porn, gaming and marketing industry understand the power of research in order to effectively reach our students. I believe that same tool they use so effectively should be one of our most strategic resources for reaching teens with truth.
Knowing some of this information will not make you the best youth leader in the world. It definitely will not take the place of having a good working knowledge of the scriptures. However, it could help you to better understand student culture and therefore more effectively communicate truth.
The Infographic in this blog demonstrates how powerful the internet has become in society. Everything from Google to a plethora of other social media venues are being consumed and used every day by teens. One of the strategic ways for us to connect with and communicate to the students in our ministry is via digital media of some nature.
Our message never changes but our methods have to constantly be adjusted in order to reach the current generation of youth. Understanding culture is vital because “Culture is a vehicle for communicating truth.”
