After a brief hiatus, Weekend Reading makes its triumphant return to Hope 4 Hurting Kids with an interesting theory – Increased use of social media leaves teens and kids (and probably all of us) feeling more isolated.

In this report on a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Zawn Villines explains:

High levels of social media use are linked to greater feelings of social isolation, according to a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Previous research on social media’s mental health effects is mixed. A 2015 study reported higher rates of unaddressed mental health concerns among teens who frequently use social media. A 2016 analysis found people who compare themselves to others on social media may experience depression. The same study also contends that users who rely on social media to access social support may experience a decline in depression…

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Linda Ranson Jacobs is a good friend. She has been a mentor and you’ll find many of her articles and insights here on Hope 4 Hurting Kids. One of the positions she holds very strongly that gets an awful lot of feedback is that rewards based behavior system do not work. She has written a couple of articles about it on her blog at DC4K:

A Class Without Stickers! Are You Kidding Me? (Part 1)

and

A Class Without Stickers! Are You Kidding Me? (Part 2) Continue reading

This week’s weekend reading is on a topic I had never heard of before seeing this article (8 Steps to Companioning). It is something called companioning. I don’t know all the details, but it appears to be very similar to the idea of mentoring or discipleship. Read through this article from Christian Works and think about how it might apply to your work with kids.

Ideas for Further Thought and Discussion

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How is your church doing in meeting the special needs of step families (sometimes called blended families)? Recent government statistics show that in the United States almost 9% of all kids live in a step family (this does not include children living with cohabiting, but unmarried, couples). In his article Understanding the unique needs of step families, Ron Deal explains the importance of ministering to step families.

Ideas for Further Discussion About Step Families

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Dale Hudson offers up background information on foster kids and ideas on how to minister to them in a church situation in his article How To Minister to Foster Kids in Your Church (from Relevant Kids Ministry).

Ideas for Further Discussion About Foster Families

• How many foster kids are there in your community?
• Are there foster kids in your church? How do you know?
• Do you understand how the foster system works?
• What do you do for the foster kids and families in your church and community?
• Are there things you should you be doing that you aren’t?
• What’s worked for you and what hasn’t?

One new feature on Hope 4 Hurting Kids will be our “Weekend Reading.” Every (read most) weekend, we will provide a link related to working with distressed and hurting children. Sometimes these links provide useful information on working with hurting kids. Other times they will be meant to get you thinking or spark a conversation. As an added bonus, we are presenting our first and last Saturday Link on Tuesday to celebrate Divorce Ministry 4 Kids becoming Hope 4 Hurting Kids.

This is a great article about working with kids in a church setting. So, what are your rules about mentoring and counseling kids and teens?