Even though social media isn’t yet 50 years old, warnings against it have become a bipartisan concern. But, it’s also a huge part of our world used by many people to connect and businesses to engage with their clientele. For parents especially it can be stressful to figure out how to monitor their children’s use of social media, and let’s face it, it can even be difficult for adults. That’s why we are working on a series of articles about social media. Starting with a general overview, and then going more in-depth on popular apps.

This year is the 100th anniversary of the Hollywood sign. It used to say “Hollywoodland.”

But today the city is on hard times. A recent headline at deadline.com is, “Hollywood Jobs Down Nearly 20% This Year, & Not Just Because Of The Strikes, Study Says.”

According to a series in the Washington Post, parents choosing to teach their children reading, writing, and 'rithmetic at home rather than sending them to the school down the street is a phenomenon that is worthy of in-depth research and front-page coverage.

Everyone knows social media has negative effects. It’s the topic of countless articles, films have been made on it, people constantly discuss it, and it’s generally considered a bipartisan issue. Warning cries about social media have been sounded so often that they have become background music, even though it isn’t even 50 years old.

For several decades there have been numerous studies of media bias or party affiliation. The results probably won’t surprise you since the media often sounds the same as Democrat talking points.  Generally, journalists who are Democrats outnumber journalists who are Republicans by anywhere from 5 to 1 to as much as 14 to 1 according to various studies.

Big Tech oligarchs are hard at work censoring free speech, including censorship that constitutes election interference as the 2024 election season heats up.

The pro-life movement is rightly focused on preventing abortions. Sometimes this leads us to gloss over root causes. But – what is the driving factor behind a lot of abortions? And is there something we can do to address it? Enter Scott Phelps, the Executive Director of A&M Partnerships. His approach to the pro-life battle is entirely different, borne from a desire to do something to “save the babies,” plus a series of curious events (which in my humble opinion, could be taken as the Lord’s direction).

Tim Ballard has recently become a celebrated hero in the war on sex trafficking through the film “The Sound of Freedom”, which portrays his life and the organization he founded, Operation Underground Railroad. As you know the IFI has long been a champion of anything which supports Christian values and which strengthens and supports the traditional family, and certainly coming against child pornography and child sex trafficking is consistent with that mission. But as members of our staff have researched Tim Ballard and his organization OUR, many concerning facts have come to light.

It is no secret to anyone who pays attention to pop culture that Disney has abandoned its family-friendly business model for a radical pro-LGBTQ agenda. Disney has been going woke for decades, but in recent days, that approach seems to be backfiring on them financially.

No problem can be solved unless you can see it clearly. Too often, people jump in and act without having any real understanding of the problem--its nature and scope, its scale and dimensions. They make assumptions and conclusions, without proper investigation and clarity. The result is always the same when you act without understanding. Failure.

In a world where bad news in reporting is the norm, a single piece of good news can feel like a rainstorm in the desert. I recently came across an encouraging piece of news in the form of a YouTube channel called Dude Perfect, and it’s good timing for parents with the disappointing news about Mr. Beast.

Sometimes our pro-life arguments can become overcomplicated by statistics, rabbit-trails, and long rebuttals to straw-man arguments from the other side. We want to defend the pro-life position with everything we can muster, but sometimes it seems like we must have an answer to every argument from a pro-abortionist to properly defend life.

New technology tends to follow a cycle. When it's first introduced, it's only for the elite (or the geeks) that are rich enough (or nerdy enough) to buy it. Then, as everyday people begin to notice the ways it benefits their elite or geeky friends, they start to jump on the bandwagon. As the technology gains widespread acceptance, it's commended as "trendy" by its supporters and denounced as a "fad" by its opponents.

Parenting is tough. Aside from having to keep little people (often with sizeable attitudes) alive, parents are also entrusted with the responsibility of training their child in the way he (or she) should go - so that they love the Lord and live it out. That last one is difficult and can easily fall by the wayside. So whether you’re a new parent who’s struggling, or a confident experienced parent, this sermon by Dr. Rob Reinow from Visionary Family Ministries is a must-see.

On April 18, 2023, WGN in Chicago reported on the 30 best high schools in Illinois, so the Good Soil Good Seed Foundation (GS2) looked into how Illinois students scored on standardized tests.  We specifically wanted to know how many students were at grade-level proficiency in two core subject areas -- reading and math.