What Our Families Really Yearn For (It Isn’t More Screen Time)

I’m a self-professed data junkie. But I also understand that the most impressive statistics fall flat without the power of story around them. This is why I’m excited to share what my former senior editor Katie Kenny Phillips has been working on! Katie has poured her heart and soul into working as a writer and producer for Defiant Ones, a new audio series about the untold stories of the women heroes of the American Revolution. I hope you’ll draw your family near and give it a listen. Then talk. Reminisce. Reconnect. I know you’ll be glad you did. – Shaunti

By Katie Kenny Phillips

For generations, families ended their evenings around fireplaces, on front porches, and at kitchen tables. Parents and grandparents shared Bible stories, family history, tales of courage, and testaments to God’s goodness and faithfulness. Those stories did far more than fill an evening. They shaped character, preserved history, and passed faith from one generation to the next.

When the Golden Age of Radio dawned, suddenly, families had a new gathering place. Parents and children planned their evenings around their favorite shows. They listened to mysteries, westerns, dramas, comedies, baseball games, Christmas specials, and the evening news … together. When the program ended, conversations often began.

Kids asked questions. Parents explained issues. Grandparents shared memories. Everyone experienced the same story together.

Then television eventually became the centerpiece of the family home. With only a handful ofchannels, families watched the same shows at the same time. They gathered weekly, andneighbors and coworkers talked about those episodes the next day. In the 90s, NBC’s famous”Must See TV” lineup became a cultural event because millions of people shared the sameexperience on the same evening.

Entertainment has always done more than occupy our time. It created community.

When More Choices Leave Us Feeling Less Connected

Today, we have access to more entertainment than any generation before us. Thousands of television shows and videos. Endless streaming platforms. Social media. YouTube. Podcasts. Reels. Every person in the family has an algorithm of their own.

But with so many choices, we often don’t feel freedom. We feel overwhelmed.

Many of us struggle to remember which streaming services we currently subscribe to, where we saw that show someone recommended, or whether it’s worth adding yet another monthlysubscription. Even more concerning, many parents find themselves constantly filtering throughcontent that does not reflect the values they hope to cultivate in their homes.

The challenge is no longer finding something to watch. The challenge is finding something worth sharing.

Instead of gathering around one story, every member of the family often has a different screen,a different algorithm, and a different experience. Parents are watching one thing. Teenagersanother. Children something entirely different.

We have gained convenience. But somewhere along the way, we lost something precious. Welost shared stories.

Why Shared Stories Still Matter

God has always used stories to shape hearts. Jesus taught through parables because storieshelp us see truth in a way like no other. Throughout Scripture, God repeatedly commands Hispeople to remember and retell His faithfulness from one generation to the next.

When families experience the same story together, something remarkable happens. Conversations begin naturally. History becomes memorable. Parents can talk about courage, faith, sacrifice, forgiveness, perseverance, and God’s providence without feeling like they’re giving a lecture. Children become curious. Grandparents contribute wisdom. Lessons become personal.

Five Reasons Shared Stories Matter

1. They create conversations instead of ending them.

The best stories invite discussion long after they are done.

2. They build a shared family culture.

The stories your family experiences together become part of your family’s identity andmemories. (“Remember that story about…!”)

3. They shape character through example instead of lecture.

Courage, faith, integrity, and sacrifice through story often leaves a deeper impression thansimply being taught about them.

4. They help children fall in love with history.

History becomes unforgettable when people experience it through compelling stories rather than memorizing dates.

5. They remind us that biblical virtues never go out of style.

Faith. Courage. Perseverance. Humility. Sacrifice. These qualities are just as needed today asthey were centuries ago.

The Return of Audio Storytelling

It may not come as a surprise that audio storytelling is making a comeback. Approximately 100 million people listen to audio every week. Podcasts and cinematic audio dramas are reviving something radio once did remarkably well. They invite listeners to imagine the story rather thansimply watch it.

Without a screen competing for attention, listener’s minds become active participants. Everyone pictures the characters, the settings, and the moments differently but families can experience the journey together while allowing their imaginations to do what God designed them to do.

Whether listening during a road trip or carpool, around the dinner table, or before bedtime, audio creates space for something our culture desperately needs. Presence. Conversation.Connection.

It reminds us that entertainment does not have to isolate us. It can bring us together.

An Invitation to Gather Again

Perhaps we are longing for moments like these. Moments where we laugh together. Wondertogether. Learn together. Grow together.

That is our hope with the new dramatic audio series Defiant Ones: The American Revolution’sBravest Women – Patriots, Prophets, Poets & Spies.

More than an audio drama, it is an invitation for families to discover remarkable women whosecourage, faith, and perseverance helped shape history through an immersive experiencecomplete with Dolby®Atmos sound design, original score, and an all-star cast.

We hope these stories spark meaningful conversations in your home, deepen your appreciationfor God’s faithfulness throughout history, and remind every listener that ordinary people whotrust God can accomplish extraordinary things.

Whether you listen on the drive to school, around the dinner table, during family devotions, or on your next road trip, we invite you to experience these stories together. Because the best stories were never meant to be consumed alone.

They were meant to be shared.

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You can binge all the episodes before the final one airs August 20 on The Washington Timesor wherever you get your podcasts. Join the thousands who have already listened across NorthAmerica, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania.

Beautifully Flawed Productions believes stories have the power to shape culture. They createbold, female-driven narratives rooted in faith, resilience, redemption, and truth—bringing to life stories that inspire audiences and leave a lasting impact on future generations.

Katie Kenny Phillips is the former Senior Editor for Shaunti Feldhahn and is currently the Headof Publishing & Creative Development for Beautifully Flawed Productions and The Women InMy World. In her free time, she writes children’s books and screenplays while raising five kids with her husband in Atlanta.

If you are interested in having Shaunti bring research-based strategies, practical wisdom and biblical principles to your next event, please contact Amy Masaschi at [email protected]/.

On our podcast, I Wish You Could Hear This, Jeff and I offer proven steps to help you thrive in your life, faith and relationships. In other words, we’ll offer the practical help you’ve grown accustomed to right here in this blog space.  You’ll take away specific steps that help you today. Listen, follow, and share with your friends on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other platforms.

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