My 16-year-old daughter called me to the computer last night to watch something she saw online. It was Lady GaGa’s new nine and a half minute music video, “Telephone”, with Beyonce. The video skyrocketed to No. 1 on Billboard. My daughter was so disturbed by the video that she needed to talk about it. She couldn’t understand how Lady GaGa was allowed to prance around almost completely naked and be so disgusting. I watched the video. It was porn. I was shocked at the nudity and raunchiness, and am glad that my daughter was too! In a culture with high rates of pornography addiction, violence, eating disorders, depression, and anxiety, these videos only contribute to those problems.
It is getting increasingly more difficult to shield our teens from the onslaught of pornography and violence that characterize many music videos. The popularity of artists like Lady GaGa is mainstream. Just go into your youth group, ask the kids who sings “Poker Face” or “Just Dance”. They know and can sing you the lyrics. (I’ve done this exercise at many youth groups.)
Youth groups need to address this trend of nudity, violence, and sexual objectification that is becoming the norm of teen viewing. Parents can’t fight this battle alone. We need the church to wake up to the onslaught of images that are assaulting our kids and desensitizing them to the things of God. Together, we must address how pop culture influences our teens. The conversation must be on-going and relevant.
Parents, get online and take a look at the top 10 music videos. Spend a few hours watching MTV. Listen to lyrics of songs on iTunes and watch the movies your kids are renting. It will drive you to intercession and wake you up to the spiritual battle our teens face. Start discussing media in your family and talk about the impact of passively viewing sexual and violent media. Work with your teens to make godly choices and to resist temptation. And if you are struggling yourself, get help!
Ask your youth group leaders to discuss media, lyrics and how much is too much. A number of months ago, I worked with a youth group and dissected the lyrics to Katie Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl” song. The teens knew all the words but had not considered the message (same sex experimentation) in terms of how it might influence their thinking and Christian walk. It was a productive conversation. The church needs to work with families in this area and be another voice to reinforce Christian values and help teens question their exposure to certain media.
While the battle seems overwhelming, our best defense is prayer. God is on our side. Pray, talk and be in the lives of your teens. They need all the help they can get.
Are you and/or your teen’s youth group discussing pop culture, especially music?
~ Dr. Linda