How Influential Is Media On Our Youth?
By: Caitlin Nicholas
There have always been negative influences on our youth, but are they on the rise?
I think yes.
In the past there have always been different aspects of our culture influencing the youth. Magazines, books, gossip and such have all played into that. But in today’s culture, people my age are bombarded with media from every direction. I think we can all agree that media today has a lot larger stage, more venues, and through that it has a great deal more influence than, say, 30 years ago. Yes, there are still positive influences, but unfortunately the negatives overpower the positives in media now. Teenagers and young children are being exposed to vulgarity, lies and sex more than ever. It’s in a greater amount of music, books, television, movies, etc. than it has ever been before. Beyond that, there is the internet. I cannot turn on the radio or the televison without hearing vulgar language or seeing sexuality. Our youth are being brainwashed into thinking a certain way politically. We are being taught that God is a joke or at best a great story. We are being encouraged to be overly and overtly sexual. It’s gotten worse, gang. There is still hope, and I will get to that, shortly. Let me give you a hint: GOD. But right now, let me show you some examples.
Let’s look at Lupe Fiasco’s song: Words I Never Said
“I can’t take back the words I never said.” Okay, she is encouraging people to speak out. But for what?
“I really think the war on terror is a bunch of bull—-. Just a poor excuse to use up all your bullets.”
“9/11, building 7 did they really pull it?”
“Gaza strip was gettin’ bombed, Obama didn’t say sh–”
“Israel don’t take my side cuz look how far you’ve pushed them”
These are just a few examples from one song, but this song is heard by millions. According to his official Youtube video there have been 5,810,055 viewings. Most likely the viewers were all teenagers and young adults. Our culture is being brainwashed, and unless we do something about it before it’s too late, we will be unable stop it. Only God can.
Sexuality is also on the rise. You walk into the grocery store and see scantily dressed women on magazine covers. You turn on the radio and hear lyrics that are 100% sex. You turn on the tv and you’ll see…well…almost porn! It’s impossible for teenagers to not be exposed to such sin. Media is such a large part of teenagers lives, and yes, mine, as well. But our lives have become so built up around media. I see teens on their phones texting constantly, on the internet, always reading magazines. They are taking in all this influence and they are not really aware of the damage it’s causing.
There is a solution, and that is God. We used to be a morally superior nation. Our nation was founded on Christian values and principles. Where have they gone? God is slowly fading away as a relevant aspect of our society. We must bring Him back. It’s our duty to bring Him back. I truly believe the lack of God in peoples lives is what is causing sexualized media, more teen pregnancies, drug and alcohol abuse, etc. God is the key. Bringing Jesus back into media is what we need. And that’s already happening. There are plenty of Christian media outlets. The problem is that not very many people know about them. Teenagers don’t have any interest in it because it’s not the ‘in’ thing to do. At least not many. Fortunately, Christian music, TV and movies are all becoming more and more popular. We just have to get the youth involved. Parents will play a big part in that. So many kids these days are brought up without a solid Christian background, and that hurts them. If teens are brought up without Jesus, of course they’ll get into trouble, because they have no moral foundation. God is the answer. God is the light to send the sin back into the dark. God is what we need in our lives. Yes, media might not get any better, but our children and young adults will have that shield of righteousness to protect them.
Tags: Caitlin Nicholas, God, Jesus, Lupe Fiasco, media influence, morals, vulnerable, youth
