From Diary to Social Media: Guest Column

Social Media

In a video for the Identity Project, Dr. Leonard Sax notes that 20 years ago, many young girls had a diary in which to write, privately, about the journey to discover who they are and what they want. That kind of introspection is healthy and helpful. Today, however, too much mental processing is done on TikTok and Instagram. It’s not private but performative. Think of the teenage girl who takes 100 selfies, choosing two or three to offer her social media audience, after carefully touching them up.  

That is not healthy. As Dr. Sax put it, “The difference between the diary and social media is the difference between living and performing.” 

The constant striving for approval, which rarely comes, from a disembodied online crowd also trying to “perform’’ and, at times, hurt others, inflicts long-term damage on the mental and emotional wellbeing of young girls.  

That’s why, when it comes to teens and social media, the right call is to say “No.” Go to identityproject.tv to hear Dr. Sax’s excellent talk. 

Copyright 2024 by the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. Reprinted from BreakPoint.org with permission.

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DOJ Claims Marijuana Safer Than It Is: Guest Column

Marijuana

Recently, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced its plans to reclassify marijuana as a drug akin to prescription painkillers.  

The proposed regulations would not decriminalize marijuana, but it is a push in that direction and would make accessing the drug easier across the country. This move to reclassify marijuana is the next dangerous step in a decades-long campaign to market it as safe and non-addictive.  

Pot’s effects on health and sanity may not be as obvious as with harder drugs like ecstasy or meth, but that doesn’t mean it’s safe. Research has found marijuana use closely linked with increased risk for depression and bipolar disorder. It is also a leading indicator of workplace accidents and has led to higher rates of schizophrenia in young men.  

It’s also worth noting that those who stand to gain the most from this reclassification are not patients, but corporations already profiting from the multi-million-dollar marijuana industry. 

Ultimately, reclassifying marijuana will only lead to more harm, not health. 

Copyright 2024 by the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. Reprinted from BreakPoint.org with permission.

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Commercial Surrogacy and Modern-Day Slavery: Guest Column

Surrogacy

According to Britain’s The Independent, calls to an anti-slavery hotline grew from just under 10,000 in 2022 to nearly 12,000 last year.  Whether the increase in calls reflects an actual increase of slavery in the U.K. or an increase in awareness of the hotline, it’s a reminder that an ancient evil is still very much part of the modern world. 

Today, slavery can take the form of things like organ harvesting, or even surrogacy-based slavery, when women are warehoused, financially pressured, or otherwise coerced into providing children for paying Western customers. 

This booming market, child advocate Katy Faust says, “is the real #HandmaidsTale,” with customers and “providers” willing to go to unconscionable lengths to secure the “product.” With so much money to be made and little to no legal restrictions, women and children are dehumanized and made commodities.  

Make no mistake, this is one of the great human rights crises of our day. 

Copyright 2024 by the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. Reprinted from BreakPoint.org with permission.

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