Captivated DVD by Media Talk 101 #hsreviews

As a part of the TOS Crew we received a copy of a new movie titled Captivated DVD from Media Talk 101.  As you might derive from both the company and the dvd, Captivated is about media and our children most importantly, but really all of us and the amount of media we are exposed to. 

We received a physical copy of the DVD to watch and review.  You can purchase a copy of the dvd for $16.95.  Also available are discounts for purchasing multiple copies and a study guide that can be bought separately to use in showing this for  a Bible study or group.  The DVD is mainly geared towards adults, though I would say older teenagers would benefit from watching it as well.  The DVD is 107 minutes long and also includes 2 hours of bonus material.

The main point of the movie is that we as a society are relying too heavily on technology whether it be our smartphone or the computer or the television to interact with us and live on a daily basis.  These devices are holding us “captive” and even our interaction with other humans revolves around our devices.  Add to this list video games or computer games for children and even adults and the list can go on.  

This dvd challenges us to take a closer look at our lives and where we are placing our priorities.  Are we choosing our technology over God?  Are we putting technology over our kids?  I read a blog post once telling mothers to put away their phones when they’re at the park with their children and to be there with them.  This dvd brought that post to mind and really it makes you think.  Do you often tell your kids that they have to wait until you’re done with something?  Is that something more important than they are?

I had to watch this dvd more than once.  There is a lot of information in here and it really requires you to think.  

It spans the technology window, first talking about the telegraph and how it affected our society.  This was such an amazing device!  You no longer had to mail a letter, wait for it to be delivered, and then wait for a reply!  Now you could just send the telegraph and normally within a day at the most get your response.  Family that lived states away were now able to communicate with each other!  From there we got the telephone, etc.

I could go on and on and tell you more of what the movie says, but you can watch segments online for free and decide if it is something that would interest you.  I’m more into telling you about what we thought of this and how I think it will change your lives.

A shocking bit was the developing of the R rated movie.  Before there were no R rated movies.  Those movies just weren’t done.  It was scandalous.  It was not watched.  But when they developed the R rating they could now put them in the theater.  And then people went to see them.  And then more people went to see them.  People became desensitized to these types of movies.  It didn’t bother them.  It was no longer scandalous to see all that violence, nudity, and language on television.  It became the new normal.  People no longer protested and now there are more R rated films coming out than G rated films.  It is very hard to find a movie that is really and truly family friendly these days.

I recently have begun to see this.  I’ve been rewatching movies that I watched in my childhood with my children.  Movies that I thought growing up were great movies.  Now that I’m watching them through the eyes of a parent, I’m not so sure.  Did you know that the old version of Annie has cussing in it?  I sure didn’t realize that!  I watched that growing up and did not pick up on it!  And yet, that is not labeled on the movie!  I also have to say that several of the “kids” movies today have more of an adult fan base than kid fan base.   They are labeled as kid movies but they have subtle things going on that we’re showing to our children.  I think our kids are picking up on those messages even if they are not getting the full understanding that we as adults do.

I think the main point for me is that we need to make sure that our media use is not taking more of a focus in our life than the things that should be the most important.  We need to make sure that God is our first and foremost priority.  If we don’t have time to do a Bible study or read the Bible daily, do we have time to get on facebook or check our email?  If the answer to the second question is yes while we’re not doing the first, then maybe we need to rethink our priorities.  If we are watching more television with our kids than we are reading books with them, well maybe we need to rethink family time a bit too.  

I know that this has motivated me to pay more attention to how much television my kids watch and how much of my time is spent on the computer.  I purposely try to make sure that I am not on the computer when my kids are awake.  My children do not have video games. My children do not have cell phones.  Now, my oldest is only 9 so a lot of that doesn’t apply to them, but I want to become an example to them.  An example of how to live life without being tied down by technology.  Technology is here to help us, not hinder us.

Like what you’re hearing here?  Make sure to check out the main TOS blog post and visit all the other blogs who have received a copy of this dvd to review.  I’m sure we each took something different away from the dvd and will have a different perspective to share.