Moderating Media
I recently started watching a television series that seemed wholesome and meaningful. The main character was charming and complex, and the themes were both inspiring and entertaining. I looked forward to watching new episodes, because each one offered stories that were human and hopeful. But after about seven or eight episodes, something changed. New scenes and storylines began to quietly shift the moral tone of the series and the depth and likability of the main character. It began to feel like the show was normalizing, even celebrating, some topics that I found deeply troubling. I kept watching for a while—episode after episode—hoping it would return to what it had been. But I too often found myself skipping through troubling scenes, and it began to feel like I was being subtly steered in directions I didn’t want to go. Eventually, I had to stop watching.
This isn’t the first time I’ve noticed this. So many shows start out seeming interesting and harmless, then something shifts. Often, explicit sexual or violent scenes appear without warning—even in otherwise innocent storylines. Instead of turning it off, I think many people keep watching, like I used to do myself. Perhaps we don’t want to seem overly sensitive or “prudish.” Maybe we think, “Everyone loves this show — it must just be me. Maybe I’m too sensitive.” So we keep viewing.
This is not a new problem. Saint Augustine comes to mind. In his Confessions, he tells the story of his friend Alypius, who was dragged to the gladiator games by his friends. He didn’t like those deadly games and was determined not to watch. So Alypius closed his eyes, but the roar of the crowd made him curious. He peeked, thinking he could handle it, but in that moment, he was swept up by the spectacle. Augustine writes: “His eyes were riveted. He imbibed madness. Without any awareness of what was happening to him, he found delight in the murderous contest and was inebriated by bloodthirsty pleasure. He was not now the person who had come in.”
You see, this isn’t about prudishness. Concepts, images, and stories have power. Once they enter our eyes, our minds, and our hearts, they don’t just pass through—they form us. Over time, they can quietly change how we think, what we accept, and who we become (like Alypius). Modern science is now confirming what saints like Augustine knew intuitively. Media psychologists and neuroscientists have shown that repeated exposure to certain messages, images, and storylines can influence individual thinking and collective perception. When a particular idea or behavior is consistently portrayed as normal, desirable, or morally neutral—especially through characters we like and stories that move us—our brains begin to register it as acceptable, even good. It happens slowly, subtly, and often without us realizing it.
Thankfully, Alypius came to his senses and realized what was happening to him. He saw that what was being promoted as entertainment had the power to alter his path toward eternity. Augustine writes: “. . . he jumped out of the deep pit in which he was sinking by his own choice . . . With strict self-control he gave his mind a shaking, and all the filth of the circus games dropped away from him, and he stopped going to them.”
We too have the power to choose. With God’s grace, we can “give our minds a shaking,” just as Alypius did—and walk away from whatever dims the light of Christ within us. Entertainment isn’t just about passing the time; it plays a role in forming our hearts, our minds, and our capacity to grow in faith, hope, and love. What we take in matters more than we might realize. The choices we make on this earth—what we consume, visually and otherwise—bring us either a step closer to, or further from, that goal. Ultimately, we’re choosing who we’re becoming—for eternity.
If you appreciated this reflection, you might also enjoy When on Earth — a book by AFIRE founder Nina Marie Corona, filled with personal stories about finding God in the midst of everyday life.
