[Part I of 2 parts on the Sexualization of Our Children: Entertainment Media]

The phrase, “It’s a brave new world,” is often used to extol the virtues of our ever-changing culture. Technological advances of the past 100 years seem to dwarf advances made during the previous 1000 years. Even changes in the past ten years have our heads spinning. (On a personal note, I’m still struggling with using a smart phone that often seems smarter than I am!) Adults and children are bombarded with a variety of media methods and content.

But it’s not all brave…or even good. The content of much of our entertainment media has been sexualized – either overtly or covertly. And our children are not immune to its influence.

I recently participated in a webinar conducted by Elizabeth Smith, professor in the Children’s Ministry and Youth Department of Moody Bible Institute. She offered these statistics:

–  8- to18-year-olds average 7 hours and 38 minutes daily in using entertainment media.

–  Since they multi-task (which means they often use more than one medium at a time), they actually consume 10 hours and 45 minutes of media content in those 7 hours and 38 minutes.

–  Sexual content appears in 64% of all television programs.

–  Music videos contain an average of 93 sexual situations per hour.

A report from The Child Study Center of New York University notes that we are raising a generation of “super-sexualized” young people. Children around the country are being exposed to an onslaught of sexual messages that come at them with the speed of light from all directions and on an on-going and daily basis. They can come from print media, television, movies, videos, music, the Internet, the child’s neighborhood or home. Even news stories about the latest political scandal.

Exposure to sexual messages may delay emotional, spiritual, and social development and result in immaturity and/or irreparable damage. All because a child is so impressionable.

Our children are in the cross-hairs of an entertainment industry that does not have their best interests at heart. Rather than wave the white flag of surrender, we must be intentional about our response.

Smith offers the following suggestions:

1.  Promote truth in our own lives.

Rather than allow the culture to make us defensive or apologetic, we must use every opportunity to live out the truth of God’s Word in our own lives. Children don’t just listen to our words, they watch our actions, too. If the media we take in is too “mature” for children, we need to ask ourselves if it is appropriate for a child of God of any age!

2.  Proclaim truth in the lives of children.

Take every opportunity to proclaim truth to children. Be alert to teachable moments described in Deuteronomy 11:18-20.

3.  Deal with the sexualization of children from a biblical foundation.

Theological concepts are not always easy for adults to process, but there are ways to present biblical truth to children. Process the following questions for yourself, then consider how to introduce these questions to your children:

–       What does it mean to be made in the image of God?

–       What does it mean that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit?

 How can we care for our bodies to reflect this truth?

 –       What does Scripture say about sexual purity – physically and in our thought life?

Of course, there’s one more thing we can do – and it’s the first and most important thing we can do. We can pray for our children.

We can’t afford to be ostriches with our heads in the sand. It’s not always a brave, new world. Sometimes it’s a sad, depraved world. But we have the comfort and assurance of knowing that “greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (I John 4:4)!

How are you building a biblical foundation into your children?