Social media, young people and the mental health crisis

In the final episode of the season, hosts Jo Frost and Peter Lynas discuss the intricate relationship between health, wellness, and what it means to be truly, fully human. Exploring the cultural stories that shape our view of health and wellness, they delve into topics such as nutrition, sleep, body image, and mental well-being. As with all episodes in this season, Jo and Peter use the Being Human lens to analyse these aspects through the aspects of presence, significance, participation, and connection. They highlight the cultural contradictions surrounding health and wellness and emphasise the importance of community, hospitality, and generosity for a holistic and healthier life. Practical applications like fasting, simplicity, and hospitality are recommended to cultivate wholeness and better health. 00:00 Season Finale Announcement 01:13 Today we’re chatting health and wellness 02:23 Recap on the Being Human lens 04:07 The importance of sleep 07:50 Health span vs. Life span 09:17 Holistic health and wellness 12:57 What does the God story tell us about healthy bodies? 19:18 Health inequality and the challenge of dignity and respect 23:33 Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit 24:26 Participation and the sedentary lifestyle 26:27 Health data and health tracking 29:22 The influence of social media on health 31:27 Connection through food and relationships 34:45 Health as a justice issue 37:33 Practices for health and wellness 43:51 That’s a wrap!

In this episode Jo and Peter welcome their friend and head of public policy, Alicia to the conversation. This time ethnicity is placed the centre of the lens and through significance, connection, presence and participation, they track some of the major cultural shifts in this vital and global conversation. From the murder of George Floyd in the US to the case of Child Q in the UK, they lament over the prevalence of injustice, while looking to the God Story for a more hopeful narrative. Alongside personal stories the conversation touches on how Christians might seek wisdom when it comes to language and ideas like intersectionality. And admits a culture that so often only wants to deconstruct, they look to the opportunity for hospitality, relationship and rebuilding in Jesus’ name to bridge divides. They ask what can the story found in scripture tell us about difference, identity and community when it comes to thinking about ethnicity?   Part one (00:00)  00:07 Welcome and introductions with Alicia.   01:43 Framing today’s topic: ethnicity and identity.   06:17 Looking at language: race, ethnicity and nationality.   12:18 Putting ethnicity in the centre of the lens.   13:18 Significance and the murder of George Floyd.   18:19 Why we might struggle to recognise our own sin and prejudice.  21:12 The God story: liberation, redeeming identity and the story of Hagar.    Part two (26:17) 26:20 Connection, Christian global community and building peace.  30:01 Friendship and combatting the fear of misspeaking.  33:11 Biblical mandate: being sanctification and made holy.  36:11 Presence: Child Q as a moment of reckoning.  41:28 Deconstruction, intersectionality and rebuilding in Jesus's name.  45:35 The good shepherd.  48:05 Participation: migration and the mandate of hospitality.  52:55 Practicing gratitude.  54:12 Practicing study and intercession.  

In this episode of Being Human, Jo and Peter are joined by their twenty-five-year-old team member Emma to discuss the generational shift in perspectives on work, rest, and play. From Baby Boomers to Gen Z, they explore how different age groups approach work-life balance, purpose, and identity. Diving into the world of intergenerational workplace dynamics, the impact of digital culture, hobbies, mental health and the quest for a meaningful rest vs work ethic, they draw on the wisdom of the God Story to seek a better narrative. The episode wraps up with three practical spiritual habits – rest, solitude and communion - for navigating these challenges.   Part one (00:00)   00:40 Meet Emma: behind the scenes to on the mic. 01:10 Today’s topic: generational perspectives on work, rest, and play.  02:39 Gen-z, millennials, Gen-x and boomers: understanding the generational categories.   05:06 The Being Human lens: a way to explore the cultural stories.  07:06 Participation: what does each generation look for in work?  14:31 Play and rest: hobby and volunteering culture across generations.   16:40 The God Story: purpose and gifting.  Part two (19:58)  20:00 Significance: does your identity come from your work?    25:52 Anxious generations: shifts in work perception and uncertainty.  29:05 Work, identity, and rest: a biblical perspective.   33:30 Connection: gen-z in the digital age and conflict in relationships.   38:50 Presence and place: flexibility and the future of work.  45:15 A better story with three spiritual practices: rest, solitude and communion.   49:22 Finishing up: do get in touch!  

We are taking a short break in the season, but while you wait for the next episode why not join us for our webinar series? Join us for three 60-minute online webinars on June 11, 18 and 25 with Jo and Peter as they explore Being Human as a new apologetic for the 21st century and unpack its resources for your church. These interactive webinars will cover a range of topics: from the cultural stories of our day, to the narrative of the God story, as well as research on the different kinds of attitudes you might find in your church, and how we can be reaching out more to one another. We would love to see you there. Find out more here: https://beinghumanlens.com/being-human-webinars-june-2024

In this episode Jo and Peter use the apologetics tool - the Being Humans Lens - to chat all-things artificial intelligence (AI). They ask: does AI know us better than we know ourselves? Can AI really become a source for our relationships? And how might we draw on the wisdom of the God Story when it comes to navigating the future of tech?  Through exploring significance, connection, participation and presence the conversation covers AI’s benefits and challenges, from ChatGPT and self-driving cars to ethical dilemmas and the potential for deep fakes. They also consider the environmental impact of AI and the questions around ethical frameworks to guide its development. Ultimately, we dive back to the better story found in the pages of scripture for a hopeful perspective on integrity, empathy and wisdom in this digital age.   Part one (00:00)   01:06 Welcome back and introducing today’s topic: AI  03:03 Putting AI at the focal point of the Being Human Lens.  05:01 Significance: AI bias, data and ethics.  12:45 The God story: Genesis and wisdom.   Part two (17:03)   17:06 AI and connection: how do we build an ethnical framework?   25:36 Loneliness: is AI really a source for relationship?   27:31 Biblical empathy and ethics: relational beings in a digital world.  29:27 Real vs fake: presence and digital deconstruction.   35:38 The environmental cost of AI.   38:10 A better story: stewarding God’s creation, pursing truth and encounter.   40:51 Participation and creativity: does AI really know us better than we know ourselves?   44:50 ‘Hypersuasion’: AI's influence on our choices.   49:08 Wisdom and integrity in the age of AI.   51:12 Three spiritual habits: digital abstinence, worship and examen.

In this episode climate change is at the focal point of the Being Human lens. Jo and Peter chat through presence, significance, connection and participation as they tackle one of the biggest issues facing humanity today. How might we shift some of culture’s most dominant climate conversation from blame and hopelessness, to care and stewardship?   From micro stories of London’s ultra-low emission zone to larger macro-stories of rising sea levels and climate refugees, they consider the importance of human equality, and issues of local and global justice. All the while bringing the conversation back to the better story found in the pages of scripture – how do biblical themes like sabbath, jubilee and stewarding land help reframe these debates? As followers of Jesus, how might we think about some of the disagreements surrounding tackling climate change and consider the role of both personal and collective responsibility.    Part one (00:00)  00:59 Welcome to back and a reminder that we would love to hear from you.  01:33 Climate Change: opening up the conversation and uncovering the why behind taking care of the planet.  05:13 Looking at UK: local and national climate issues and policy.  09:42 The Being Human Lens and putting climate change at the focal point.  11:13 Presence: being here now matters. Looking at some of the macro stories on climate change.   16:12 Acknowledging a historical misreading of the bible and reframing the whole earth as God’s temple.   Part two (19:02)  19:04 Significance and equality of human life when thinking about climate and creation.  23:03 Sabbath, Jubilee and the promised land: exploring the biblical story.  27:19 Who is our neighbour? Exploring connection, justice and peace.   31:53 Greta Thunberg and the future generations.  34:02 A more hopeful story: being in relationship with the giver of the land.  36:39 Participation – individual vs collective responsibility?   44:39 Personal practical practices towards environmental stewardship – study, simplicity and fasting.   45:18 Collective practices: practicing advocacy and communion.  

This episode explores the limits and boundaries of human life, particularly when it comes to abortion and euthanasia. Jo and Peter use the Being Human lens as a tool to help us think faithfully and compassionately about the start and end of life, recognising these are hugely contested areas in public debate.   They take a look at the law surrounding abortion and euthanasia as well as stories from around the world on where these debates are bubbling up across the media. The conversation touches on justice and autonomy from women, dignity in suffering, and the deeply personal dilemmas individuals face. They bring us back the story of God and his people, taking note of the role of the early church in caring for babies and the promise of hope woven throughout scripture. The episode lands on how we might navigate these conversations well in our own lives and sharing a better story through practices of hospitality, different forms of prayer and gratitude.    Part one (00:00)  01:24 Diving into the debate: are there limits on life? Both entry to life and exiting from life are two of the most contested areas in public debate.   02:46 Stories of abortion and euthanasia in UK media and policy.   06:03 The Being Human Lens: a tool for this discussion.   07:49 Understanding statistics and the law around abortion in the UK.   12:37 Significance and abortion: considering a woman’s autonomy over her own body and the life of a baby.  14:05 Moving to euthanasia – why is it such a hot topic at the moment?   16:00 Dignity and death: having compassion for those suffering and the promise of hope in the Christian story.  Part two (21:59)  22:00 Connection: How does the start and end of life affect our relationships with each other, with God and with our world?   24:38 Is abortion the pinnacle of the justice for women or is it perpetuating further injustices in new forms?  28:06 Navigating the euthanasia debate in Canada  32:58 The early church: revisiting ancient values and practices of our forefathers.  35:20 Presence and the recognising the cost of caring for our loved ones.   41:03 Participation and the story of Sarah and Paul Williams. Does purpose necessitate being human?   47:21 Practising and inhabiting a better story: hospitality, gratitude, intercession and examen prayer.   Interested in taking this conversation further? Take a look at some resources and organisations mentioned in the episode:   Both Lives Matter Home for good  Safer families  Perfectly Human: Nine Months with Cerian (Shaming the Strong) by Sarah Williams 

If every human being is made in the image of God, but we are each rooted into a particular place and culture, how might we as Christians better engage in conversations on migration, asylum and refugees? In this episode Jo and Peter discuss this global issue and why it should matter to us all. From political slogans and dramatic headlines, the conversation starts by peeling back some of misconceptions and complexity of this issue; investigating who’s coming into UK and for what reasons. Jo and Peter then once again use the Being Human lens to help offer a fresh perspective asking how might significance, connection, presence and participation impact our understanding of human dignity, interculturalism, borders and citizenship? How can we see the pages of Scripture as one large story of migration, displacement and finding home? Part one (00:00) 01:11 Welcome back and introducing the big issue for episode four: the complex world of migration, asylum, and refugees. 02:03 Announcement: Peter and Jo are hosting a mini-series of webinars! Chatting all-things Being Human from the Lens, to our cultural landscape to understanding who is in our churches and how we might reach them. Look out for more information coming soon. 03:05 Small boats, international students and economic migrants: getting the lay of the land on who actually is arriving into the UK each year.   09:09 Coming back to the Being Human Lens: why is migration and asylum important to the conversation about being human today? 12:10 Starting with significance – how does dignity, identity, and equality affect a perspective on migration? 16:42 From the Old to New Testament: seeing the bible as one large a story of migration. And how might that challenge our perspective. Part two (20:17) 20:20 People don’t migrate in isolation: recognising the importance of families, dependants and connection. 24:07 The complexities of local connections and global compassion. Are we equally connected to everyone in the world? Is our responsibility to family, community, nation or the globe? 26:46 Lessons from Beyonce's latest album and exploring how might we think about borders. 30:20 We are particular people in particular places – respecting both the culture we might be from and the one we are visiting or inhabiting. 37:38 Pushing back on the unhelpful soundbites and toxic language surrounding this issue, what might it mean to participate positively in this conversation?  41:23 Coming back to the story of God as one that centres on displaced people – how might be understand inclusion and welcome of the foreigner, but also the call to be distinct? 44:43 Gratitude, study, and you guessed it...hospitality. Three habits for we might inhabit this better story for engaging with migration, refugee and asylum. Read Luke Bretherton's article on Immigration and the moral status of borders here. 

In episode three, Jo and Peter tackle one of the most contested topics in our culture today – the trans debate. They explore the complex questions surrounding sex, gender and being embodied humans. With the transgender and feminism conversations often feeling charged and toxic, it can be difficult to know how to engage when this issue can affect us personally and divide opinion so quickly.    So, this episode provides a hopeful look at what it means to be human when it comes to such a contested issue.  Engaging with topics like the Barbie movie, gender and sport, controversies surrounding those in the public eye – like JK Rowling or Dylan Mulvaney – and the treatment of transgender children, this episode looks at where we find the gender debate bubbling up across culture today. Jo and Peter, using the Being Human lens, keep bringing it back to God Story; how it speaks to feminism, equality, human dignity and understanding the importance of our bodies.  This conversation reminds us of importance of thinking through our theology and recognising the significance and dignity of one another, particularly when we might disagree.    Show notes   00:00 Welcome back to Being Human and catching up on Peter’s chocolate and sugar sacrifices in preparation for a mountain marathon  02:20 ‘I am kenough’: exploring the cultural phenomenon of last year’s Barbie movie and questions it posed about what it means to be a woman and a man.   05:14 From JK Rowling to Dylan Mulvaney, introducing one the most contested issues of today: male, female, sex and gender identities.   11:46 Looking through the Being Human lens and kicking off with significance: who matters, and do we matter when it comes to our bodies? Navigating the often-emotive topic of trans rights and human rights.  20:03 Recognising the significance and dignity of one another, particularly when we disagree.   23:41Feminism meets Christianity: in the book of Genesis, are women really just “an afterthought”?     Part two (26:25)  26:25 Finding common ground: when different sides of the trans debate seek to cancel, push out and disown one another, is there a possibility of reconciliation when it comes to our connections to one another?    40:05 Presence and reflecting on the Cass Review: a key moment for the conversation on transgender care for children.   44:03 Recognising bad theology and reclaiming good theology when it comes to thinking through our bodies and our spirits.   46:45 How might we attempt to participate in the gender identity conversation when it so fraught with emotion, sensitivity and difference?  53:00 Theological study, fasting and hospitality: three practices for navigating cultural conversations and reorientating us back to God.   

What is the impact of social media on mental health, especially kids and young people? Jo and Peter share from their own experiences as parents attempting to navigate how to wisely use and limit social media in their own lives and the lives of their kids. Being Human 502 is taking a deep dive on the online space and explores the impact it’s having on particularly the minds of young people. Although social media can be a force for good, the way in which our tech competes for our attention is something we all can relate to. Jo and Peter open up the conversation with the tragic story of teenager Molly Russell and shed light on the dark side of the online world. From self-image and filters to the power of algorithms, they explore the rise of anxiety, depression and loneliness which has been reportedly linked to social media use. What role can both parents and individuals play in navigating these challenges for our kids, friends and ourselves? And as we look at these issues through the Being Human lens, what does the God Story have to offer us in the face of these challenges? How can we use the apologetic tool of the Being Human lens to help shape a better story for our mental health and online lives? This episode rounds-off with personal tips and habits for healthy and balanced engagement with social media. Part one (00:00)  02:17 Welcome back and teeing up the question that Jo and Peter get asked the most – what is the impact of social media on the mental health of our young people? And what do we do about it?  03:40 The Molly Russell Case: a wake-up call and an opportunity to open up the conversation.  05:46 Putting today’s conversation in the focal point of the Being Human Lens and asking is there a better story when it comes to our engagement with social media and understanding mental health?   07:16 Exploring significance and identity in the digital age. What impact does an all-loving, all-knowing God have into a social media swirl that perpetuates self-doubt and insecurity?   Part two (18:08)  18:12 From dating apps to algorithms to Ted Lasso - looking at connection and social media’s impact our relationships with one another.   23:54 ‘I can buy myself flowers’: exploring the cross over between the drive for self-love and experience of loneliness in modern connections.   27:52 With filters, deep-fake and AI how might we navigate the blurred lines between online and real life?  38:22 Finding balance: strategies for healthy engagement with social media. Adopting small habits that lead to significant change over time.  49:45 Finishing up – championing mental health support and community engagement.   Keen to develop your own habits of healthy social media use? Read 5 Ways to Cut Back on Social Media from PCMag.