Sign in Subscribe

3MN: we're being destroyed from the outside in.

3MN: we're being destroyed from the outside in.

Happy 3 Minute Thursday!

Let's make it quick! No wasting time, no fluff stuff, and definitely no spam. In three minutes each week, this newsletter will help you think in the best way and see the world like Jesus does.

🌎 Minute 1 - Your kids are smoking this new cigarette right in front of you.

Widespread social media use among kids and teens poses a significant mental health risk, according to U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. In an advisory, he calls for immediate action, highlighting the need to create safe digital environments that minimize harm and protect children's well-being. The report acknowledges both the positive and negative effects of social media, emphasizing the importance of age-appropriate standards, data privacy protections, and digital literacy education. Spending more than three hours per day on social media was found to double the risk of symptoms related to depression and anxiety—teenagers average around 3.5 hours. Anyone else getting 1970s vibes?

💡
Our love-driven duty to our children is to create safe digital environments, set boundaries, and guide them towards healthy relationships and authentic connections. Let's rise to the occasion.

💬 Minute 2 - A quote about the nuclear bomb on teen social life.

Data scientist Chris Said, who has a Ph.D. in psychology from Princeton University and has worked at Facebook and Twitter:

"Social media was like a nuclear bomb on teen social life. I don't think there's anything in recent memory, or even distant history, that has changed the way teens socialize as much as social media."
  • Does pushing the boundaries of what’s appropriate to garner more likes seem like a healthy thing?
  • Does obsessing over a little number on a little photo seem like a healthy thing?
  • Does wrapping self-worth, feelings of acceptance, and the state of a person’s mental health in something like social media feel like a healthy thing?

Suddenly, social media does feel like a nuclear bomb when you think of it that way. Add that to cyberbullying and the increasing number of kids suffering from depression, anxiety, and suicide, and that’s enough to make any parent shut down the internet and move off the grid.

A lot of this is still so new for parents, especially when we consider how we were raised. And while we don’t have all the answers, we do know this: A full heart will not be deterred by likes. A hurting heart will always be swayed in ways that cause more hurt. Connect with your kids in a way that matters to them. It doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be intentional.

🥦 Minute 3 - Can we still make strong friendships and feel like we belong, even with social media around?

I am not trying to be stubborn with my question. Is is even possible for us to curate and maintain healthy relationships with the looming influence of social media in our lives? Because, if we use it or not, social media is shaping our children.

👉 Three ways social media insidiously affects teen well-being and what we can do about it:

  • First, social media erodes in-person skills, making individuals less fun and available to others. This creates a cycle of unhappiness as everyone's interactions are diminished. Counter: prioritize and facilitate regular face-to-face interactions with family, friends, and peers.
  • Second, social media becomes a trap, luring users into an inferior equilibrium. Teens feel compelled to use it due to the presence of their friends, despite vague unhappiness. Counter: help them discover new hobbies, clubs, sports, or community organizations where they can connect with like-minded peers and build meaningful relationships.
  • Third, social media amplifies social inequality, favoring a small group of "winners" who receive disproportionate attention. Non-winners experience lower well-being as their share of attention diminishes. Counter: have hard conversations with teens about what is real, fake, and insignificant online.
📬
How do you create strong friendships and a sense of belonging in your life, despite the presence of social media? I want to hear from you. Send your reflections or thoughts by simply replying to this email.

VERSE OF THE WEEK 🔥

T A B T O, B T H A G R F T T. F I T F, O W L U H F. B W T H W I A W H F A H N A T L H U.

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! - Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

🚀
We grow primarily through word-of-mouth. If you enjoy our emails and believe in the mission, then share the 3 Minute Newsletter via text, social media, or email Just copy and paste this link: https://www.paytonminz.com/newsletter/

Until next week,

Payton Minzenmayer

p.s. Your family’s home for politically neutral, Christ-first news.