Navigating a minefield

By: American Decency Staff

A recent headline of a Newsweek article caught my attention. “Girls Gone Wild: What Are Celebs Teaching Kids? Paris, Britney, Lindsay & Nicole: They seem to be everywhere … Tweens adore them and teens envy them. But are we raising a generation of ‘prosti-tots’?” The article examined the impact upon young girls from the flood of sexual themes that permeate the youth culture and asserted: “…our kids are being bombarded by images of oversexed, under-dressed celebrities who can’t seem to step out of a car without displaying their … private parts to photographers. Videos like ‘Girls Gone Wild on Campus Uncensored’ bring in an estimated $40 million a year.” A recent Newsweek poll shows that 77 percent of Americans believe that the likes of Britney Spears have “too much influence on young girls”. Girls as young as first grade are emulating the Britney Spears and Paris Hiltons of today’s pop culture. Seven year-olds “using words like ‘sexy’, singing pop songs with suggestive lyrics and flirting with boys.” As Newsweek stated: “…does the rise of the bad girl signal something more profound, a coarsening of the culture and a devaluation of sex, love and lasting commitment? … a lot of parents are wondering about the effect our racy popular culture may have on their kids and the women they would like their girls to become.” This article referenced a highly regarded study that warned of the detrimental impact of the entertainment industry on our youth. ” A study published last year in the journal Pediatrics concluded that for … teens, repeated exposure to sexual content in television, movies and music increases the likelihood of becoming sexually active at an earlier age. … those who had the least exposure to sexual content were also less likely to have intercourse. Specifically, the study found that 55 percent of teens who were exposed to a lot of sexual material had intercourse by 16, compared with only 6 percent of teens who rarely saw sexual imagery in the media. That jibes with what many Americans fear: 84 percent of adults in the NEWSWEEK Poll said “sex plays a bigger role in popular culture than it did 20 or 30 years ago, and 70 percent said that was a bad influence on young people.” “…But researchers say one of the strongest predictors of early intercourse is the impression – real or imagined – that everybody else is doing it. For some teens, especially those who aren’t getting strong messages about abstinence from their parents, the media can become a sort of “sexual super-peer,” according to Jane D. Brown, a journalism professor at UNC Chapel Hill, and an author of the Pediatrics study. The message, says Brown, is that “you can walk around with no clothes on, you can have sex with whoever shows up, you can have a baby and not be married.” Some observers think the real effect of the Brit Pack on our culture is more subtle, but no less negative. Rather than instantly inspiring kids to rush and have sex, out-of-control celebs create a sense of normalcy about behavior – drinking, smoking, casual sex – that is dangerous for teens. … “It creates a general sense that life is about being crazy, being kooky, having fun and not carrying on serious relationships,” says Christian Smith, professor of sociology at Notre Dame. But the really insidious consequence is that teenagers often consider themselves immune to these influences. “They don’t have enough perspective on how they are being formed by the world around them – and when they don’t realize it, it can be more powerful,” he says. These studies and polls only confirm what we already know from what God’s Word tells us about the impact of the world. As stated above, the more exposure to the filth of the entertainment industry, the greater the negative impact. Scripture calls us to not be “conformed to this world” to guard our hearts and minds, and keep ourselves “unspotted from the world”. Parents must be vigilant in guarding, protecting, and guiding their children through the minefield of today’s culture. While this Newsweek article spells out concerns about today’s culture, it also – not surprisingly, considering the secular basis of the magazine – attempts to set forth the notion that girls have always been ‘wild’. That negative messages from the entertainment industry can easily be overcome, and a teen’s obsession with the likes of Britney Spears won’t affect the type of adult she becomes. However, the evidence to the contrary is all about us. Our malls, schools, and even churches are filled with little Britney ‘wannabes’. As one mother of young girls stated: “It takes a very strong adolescent to know what’s right and what’s wrong and not get sucked into all this stuff.” One powerful tool to help the young people in your life resist the messages of the culture and keep from getting “sucked into this stuff” is Pam Stenzel’s excellent message “Sex Has a Price Tag”. Pam is a very compelling speaker who imparts upon kids the physical, emotional, and spiritual consequences of sex outside of marriage and calls youth to do things God’s way. We strongly recommend this compelling message. You can order “Sex Has a Price Tag” in DVD or video or CD form by calling us at 1-888-733-2326 or from our web site at: https://secure3.afo.net/ada/educational.htm ========================================== Let’s encourage one another and strengthen one another to be more like our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. American Decency Association Bill Johnson, President P.O. Box 202 Fremont, MI 49412 PH: 231-924-4050 www.americandecency.org

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