Childhood has changed
From a video by Bishop Barron Presents
Robert Barron, Bishop of Winona-Rochester (Minnesota) and founder the global media ministry Word on Fire, sat down with Dr Leonard Sax, Physician, Psychologist, Author to talk about his book, The Collapse of Parenting.
The discussion explored the challenges facing modern parenting, emphasizing the cultural shifts that undermine parental authority and the effects on child development and well-being. It underscored the importance of authoritative parenting - being both strict and loving - and critiqued contemporary cultural trends that promote self-invention and disrespect towards parental authority.
There is now an extended period of human childhood. It takes more years than previous times for parents to teach children moral values and right from wrong. This may not be obvious at first but looking at the trends below, one can see that this would be the case. Modern advice encourages letting children discover morality independently. This approach is "profoundly unhuman" and a dereliction of duty.
Much better is authoritative parenting, combining strictness with love, supported by research from scholars, who find that such parenting yields the best outcomes for children. This approach aligns with biblical teachings and evidence-based parenting principles.
There has been a cultural shift, termed the "culture of self-invention," where individuals prioritize personal freedom to define their own values, often at the expense of traditional authority. This shift is visible across media, music, and literature and is linked to a broader "culture of disrespect" that undermines parental and societal authority. Many songs reflect a generational disconnect and rejection of guidance. The loss of respect for parents and tradition symbolizes a society forgetting its foundational values.
This cultural disrespect contributes to increased anxiety, depression, and a sense of being lost among youth.
Additionally popular culture, especially social media, fosters a "cult of fame" where being famous and having followers is valued above doing the right thing. Research from UCLA shows a shift in television programming values from emphasizing moral actions to prioritizing fame and winning, which has detrimental effects on children's self-esteem and mental health. Parents are urged to limit their children's exposure to toxic cultural messages and instead share positive cultural elements, such as classic music and wholesome media.
A significant factor in the cultural transformation is identified as the decline in religious affiliation, with a drop, especially youth, identifying with a religion or attending church regularly. This loss of spiritual and moral tradition is seen as correlated with the rise in social media influence and contributes to the erosion of moral foundations in children’s lives. In countries where there are stable religious communities e.g. Greece, they see no similar rise in youth anxiety and depression, suggesting the protective role of religious engagement.
Childhood obesity has increased from past decades. One contributing factor is parents relinquishing control over children's diet, often yielding to children's preferences for unhealthy foods like pizza and snacks instead of enforcing nutritious meals. Another factor is children's preference for sedentary activities, such as video games and screen time, over outdoor play and physical exercise. This stresses the need for authoritative parenting to set boundaries and encourage healthier habits, including limiting screen time and promoting physical activity.
The pervasive issue of screen addiction among youth, including that many families experience situations where all members are absorbed in separate devices even during shared meals, is described as a "dreadfully sad" image. Participants in a social media detox find it liberating despite initial resistance. There are psychological dangers of social media, particularly the constant comparisons driven by likes and followers. This dynamic is especially harmful to girls, who suffer from the pressures of social media comparisons.
Via screens access to pornography is easy. Research with parents show they do not believe their children access pornography. Their sons indicated that they accessed porn once a week. It leads to unhealthy views of women and sex in later life.
Screens should be turned off by certain times and no screens should be allowed in bedrooms.
The discussion concludes by urging parents to reclaim their authority through evidence-based and biblical parenting principles, balancing strictness with love. It calls for mindful governance of children's exposure to harmful cultural influences and stresses the importance of restoring respect for tradition, humility (interested in other people as well as yourself) and moral guidance.
The overarching message is that the collapse of parenting authority, fuelled by cultural shifts and technological changes, is detrimental to children's development, mental health, and physical well-being, and reversing these trends requires intentional and informed parenting.
Watch the conversation in this 65 min video:
This could be a good topic for small group listening and discussion.
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From a video by Bishop Barron Presents, 24/09/2025