 |
|
|
Rolling
Hills Baptist
2005 Braselton Hwy
Buford, GA 30519
| August 2006 |
|
"...it is our job to help our teens discern
between the message of the song and the message of
Truth." |
|
There is no denying that music is a powerful
force in the life of a teen. In many instances, musical
artists and their songs become the voice of a
generation. Think about the songs that were popular when
you were a teen. These songs reflected the spirit, tone,
and attitude of your generation. Today's music does the
same thing, except in a more "in-your-face," overtly
explicit way. As parents, it is our job to help our
teens discern between the message of the song and the
message of Truth. There are some things you can do to
foster a discerning spirit in your teen. First, get them
to answer a question like, "What is the artist trying to
say to me?" More than likely, a teen is not going to
commit some heinous crime because of a song, but how
many teens will dwell and act upon a sexually explicit
lyric when tempted by the opposite sex? The probability
that teens’ actions will be at least somewhat influenced
by their media choices is astronomical, especially
considering the sheer volume of entertainment young
people consume. (pluggedinonline.com) Second, set
boundaries for your whole family. Remember to do this in
a way that will teach your teen the "why" of each
guideline. This is about teaching teens a biblical
standard and showing them how to make it their own.
Third, know what the Scripture says. Verses like
Philippians 4:8, Romans 12:2, Proverbs 4:24, and Psalm
101:3 give teens specific truths to help the discernment
process. Equipping teens to use Godly discernment takes
great time, effort, and energy, but your hard work WILL
bring great dividends.
| | |
|
Here
are some ideas on how to find out more information on the
musical artists your teen is listening
to:
1.
Research the band. Use a search engine (google.com,
yahoo.com, etc.) and type in the name of the artist. This will
give you a wide range of information about the
band.
2. Read the lyrics. Go to a search engine
and type in "'the artist name' lyrics." You can actually read
the words to the songs. If you have concerns about a
particular song, print the words out and ask your teen about
them.
3. Listen to the songs. Most of the time,
an artist will have music samples on their website. You can
also go to itunes.com and click "launch music store". You can
listen to 30-second samples for free. This website will also
tell if lyrics are explicit in nature.
4. Ask other
parents. Talk with other parents you trust and hear their
thoughts on the artists or bands you are questioning. Sharing
important information with other parents is key to fighting
for the purity of our teens.
| |
|
If you had to choose just one type of music to
listen to exclusively, which would it be?
27%
- Hip-hop/rap
23% - Pop
17% - Rock
6% - R &
B
7% - Alternative
6% - Christian/Gospel
5% -
Country
4% - Techno/House
4% - Other
1% -
Jazz
(usaweekend.com)
How do you feel about music lyrics and videos
degrading women?
26% - They are taken way too
seriously – it’s art.
38% - They are disrespectful to
women and should be stopped.
25% - It's just about
selling more CD’s.
14% - I haven’t noticed any
degrading lyrics or
videos.
(tolerance.org)
| | |
| |
|
*
Fifty-nine percent of students said they played music at a
high volume on their MP3 players, compared with 34 percent of
adults. (cnn.com)
