- In 1996, the U.S. Department of Justice stated that, "Never before in the history of telecommunications media in the United States has so much indecent and obscene material been so easily accessible by so many minors in so many American homes with so few restrictions." Now, over 25 years after that statement, the quantity of online content available to all of us, young and old is just mind blowing. And it's generating many problems especially when it comes to our children. Now, the statistics surrounding online consumption in young people, they're shocking. 49% of students seek out explicit material more than once per week. Children and young people are honestly the most vulnerable. Why? Because their brains are still developing and therefore are the most impressionable. So this is why the pastoral letter, Create In Me A Clean Heart states, "The use of inappropriate content by anyone in the home, deprives the home of its role as a safe haven and has negative effects throughout a family's life and across generations." If yours is like the majority of homes, digital devices are everywhere. It's no use just putting our heads in the sand and ignoring the issues. No, instead we can take good intentional steps to engage our technology in Holy and virtuous ways to help create a home that is a safe haven. So what we want to do is provide you with three pieces of really practical advice for any home. First, protect all of your family's devices. Use parental controls. And if the device doesn't provide or allow parental controls to be downloaded, then just don't buy it for them. Second, don't allow smartphones, tablets, computers, Chromebooks, or smart TVs in the bedroom. Now we know according to a recent survey that 82% of teens and 72% of preteens sleep with their phones in their bedroom. Now this places kids at greater risk of exposure to explicit content, encourages isolation and creates a difficult environment for accountability. And then finally, talk openly and honestly with your kids. Parents, you have the most significant influence on your kids' behavior. More than their friends, their school, or their church. Put that influence to use. Now to help all caring adults, your parish is making available a free book that will be provided after mass or digitally due to the generosity of your parish or diocese. On the front cover of the book, you'll find simple instructions to join a free, seven day email challenge. These emails contain videos with easy instructions for turning your home into a safe haven, explaining the latest apps, YouTube restricted mode, social media risks, how to address difficult conversations and much more. All in video format in a series of emails directly to you. Friends, in the digital age, it's not a matter of if your child will see something inappropriate, it's only a matter of when. And although no plan is a hundred percent safe, we believe that following these practical steps will significantly decrease the opportunities for our culture to have undue influence on the hearts and minds of your precious children and assist you in making your home a safe haven for all. May God bless you. (soft music)