Media, Music and Hollywood
Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left, keep your foot from evil.
Proverbs 4:25-27
There is a sick world out there trying to get its hands on our children. We must fight back with all
we have. “They” want to sell our children violence, sex, promiscuity and addiction. There is no exaggeration, the music industry is more pornographic, satanic and disturbing than ever before. It has outdone itself in its efforts too corrupt for the sake of greed and we haven’t even touched the media or television screen yet. Does this sound paranoid? Then take a look at these facts.
The negative effects that media has on our children can go further than emotional or social damage. Media overload can have devastating consequences on a developing brain. The more television children watch between the ages of 1 and 3, the more likely they are to have attention problems at the age of 7. Child Magazine (Aug. 2004) called it the TV-ADHD Connection. What goes into our child’s little mind is as important as what goes into her mouth.
Since publishing the first edition of this book in 2009, our world has changed. I had to take the time to rework this chapter to include some of the statistics and research I have done on this subject. It’s hard to believe, but my children are now 16, 18 and 19. My obstacles are much different from when I wrote/published and they were toddlers.
Society is changing quickly. The content on our televisions today is different than it was back when my kids were born and that is not a long time ago. With reality television -which is nothing like reality, we have to protect our family. My mother used to say to me, “I don’t envy you at all in raising children in a time with all these technological advances”, because she understood the things that come along with it, are down right challenging and sometimes exhausting.
Don’t be too freaked out- here’s the beauty of all of this. We don’t have to be scared because even though our world is changing, God’s Word never has and His Words are a hope and guidance.
This gives me peace knowing that no matter how crazy the world is or how much the world changes through generations, God planned on sharing a wisdom that would sustain us through any kind of manipulation or breakdown of family and societal values. It doesn’t mean that the job gets easier, just that it’s possible.
I tell my kids this very important fact: Once it goes in your head, you can’t grab it and take it out. And it’s a phenomenon- but some how your history test doesn’t stay there- but the ugly stuff does! Which means we have to be vigilant and be guardians of our child’s minds- and I’m going to tell you how to do that as well!
My son, preserve sound judgement and discernment, do not let them our of your sight; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck. Then you will go on your way in SAFETY and your foot will not stumble.
Proverbs 3:21-23
