Are Your Kids Being Exposed to This Insidious Poison?
Caution: This post contains explicit text
I picked up a 15-year-old from his school the other day as part of my job with Uber. I welcomed him to the car and told him what I tell all my riders. “Let me know if the temperature needs adjusting for your comfort and if you have a favorite station, I’ll tune it in on the radio during your ride.”
I found the station he asked for, and three minutes later I was on the verge of tears. This sweet, impressionable boy was listening to absolute filth! I’m not exaggerating. The lyrics were like something out of a pornographic novel. I’m including some of the lyrics because I realize that some might think I’m exaggerating.
***Language Warning***
Baby grind on me
Relax your mind take your time on me
Let me get deeper shorty ride on me
Now come and sex me till yo body gets weak
We slow grinding baby
When I get ‘em I make ‘em say (oh)
Sex be my day (job)
I hit ‘em the back of my (car)
Make ‘em ride like a see (saw)
I make ‘em laugh and giggle
Cuddle a little
Suck on a nipple, lick!
The whip cream from the middle
Girlfriend I never go raw
I rip off panties and pop off bras
-Sweet Ricky, “Grind on Me”
I had to turn the radio off.
I told my young rider that I wouldn’t listen anymore. I held back tears that I now wish I hadn’t. What if he had seen me weep over what he was putting into his mind and heart? Would it have made a difference?
I’ll never know because I didn’t speak up.
What young person, listening to this stuff day after day, has any hope of staying pure? And this is just a portion of one song among many songs like it. If you are a parent, be warned. Your children are depending on your care, your guidance and your authority.
Photo: ExpectGrain
Please, for the sake of the children, be a parent
Ask your kids what their favorite radio station is. Go to that station’s website and find the playlist, the last few songs they’ve aired or their top ten list. Download the lyrics to those songs on google or youtube. And brace yourself. Some of you are in for a shock.
I’m heartbroken that things have degraded to this point. And this is just one song, by one person on one station. Add to that all of the video games that involve foul language, nudity, racism, and sexual violence. Think about all of the movies and other media that are now available via the internet. Punch a few keys and you’re there!
Young people are drowning in pollution
It’s pouring in through their phones, their computers, the TV. They are swimming against a tide coming at them from many directions. God bless our children’s hearts. How in the world can we expect them to rise above this and make something honorable and beautiful of their lives when this is the ‘water they swim in’?
Dr. Marysia Weber, DO, certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, says that these things literally deform the pleasure centers of a young person’s brain, resulting in all sorts of problems reaching far into adulthood. Once you are aware that the minds of your sweet children are being saturated with this (and worse!), will you take action?
If a neighbor or teacher sat with your children and talked to them using these words, what would you do? Then ask yourself, does it matter who is saying these things to my child? Will who is saying it change the effect it has on their hearts, minds, and bodies?
NO! It doesn’t matter where the filth comes from.
Please take extra care in creating a safe home environment for your children. As parents, you are the first and most influential line of defense in protecting them.
Here is a list of things you can do to help secure your children’s safety and their future.
1) Be aware. Check the websites your children visit. Monitor the video games they play. Violent and sexual images are appearing more often into what many parents think are safe sites and child-friendly games.
2) Limit screen time. Declare a ‘media fast’ for a week. No screen time outside of school or work-related activity. My family used to do this every Fall. Naturally, the first few days were a bit rough, but by the end of the week we were enjoying card games, board games and reading some wonderful books. You might be surprised how much time is being spent in front of a screen. TV, computers, tablets, mobile devices all consume more time than we realize. After the ‘fast’, lead your kids by example and limit your own screen time, then set limits on theirs. No child needs access to the internet at night!
3) Keep the screens in your house in public areas such as the dining room, living room or den.
4) Role play and rehearse. Help your children learn how to set personal boundaries with themselves and their friends when it comes to questionable content or sharing sexual images. Talk about apps like Snapchat, Instagram, Wickr Me, or texting.
5) Discuss consequences and dangers. Explain to your kids that once an image is sent on the internet, it is impossible to ‘take it back’. Future employers and admissions counselors will likely look at postings when evaluating applicants for college admission and jobs. Beware, in some states, teens caught sexting are now being charged with possession and distribution of child pornography. So sending a sexual image could get them convicted as a sex offender.
If all is well, praise God and stay vigilant. If they are already in deep water, throw them a lifeline. If they are in so deep that they don’t want to come out, lower a net and yank them out! If you find issues that need to be addressed, seek the help of a qualified professional. Talk with other parents that you can trust. If you need more information, check out the following website for excellent information on a range of topics:
Having your kids in Bible class or in church for an hour a week may not be enough to break through and reach a heart that has been bathing in filth all week long. A home that reflects God’s pattern for living will give kids tools and solutions to protect their hearts and minds. As a parent, lead by example and be willing to take action to safeguard your family.
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
– Solomon, Proverbs 4:23
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Wow! Are you the Uber driver, Nancy? This was a powerful article! It is just TOO easy for kids and everyone to get hold of junk, everywhere these days! I couldn’t have listened to that either. I asked Mark again tonight if he was still interested in Toastmasters and he said he was very much, it’s just time. I don’t know if you knew it, but his oldest brother died the end of Aug. They just had the memorial/funeral this past Sat. in Chicago (he was cremated in Oregon where he lived). He was officially buried in a military service and cemetery in Chicago. Then we went out of town ourselves this past weekend to see my dad and go to the TX State Fair in Dallas. I would love to visit with you again (we don’t have to eat, just visit somewhere). Your writing is very good! I’d love to hear more from you.
The thing is even music that plays on the country station if you aren’t listening can be just as bad. Take Taylor Swifts song mean. Madison is all OMG I love this song. I was like, why? Have you even paid attention to what it says? It’s about an abusive relationship. The songs we listened to as kids weren’t any better. You never realize how bad lyrics are until your kid is singing them. Madison won’t even listen to Bruno Mars lazy song. She listens to Megan’s because it doesn’t talk about having really nice sex with a really nice girl. My kids have a wide range of music to listen to and they do a fairly decent job when they pick a song they like. I’m really big on listening to lyrics so when Inpoint our songs to them I make sure to tell them to listen to the words.
Your point about issues with other types of music is well-taken. It’s so sad…and aggravating! Kudos to you for teaching your kids to listen to the lyrics and to make wise choices!
Yeah- putting together a playlist for soccer games I talked to the players about what they wanted. I was mortified by the lyrics. MORTIFIED. I think it referred to it at vile and trash over and over and over. Never in my wildest dreams would I think to think these things much less say them to music. These are regular nice kids too- not edgy envelope pushers. I made the playlist but made them pick songs that weren’t “vile and trash” for some odd reason they still love me.
Vana,
I totally get that you were mortified by the song lyrics. I was, too! Thank you for taking a stand and making them re-think their choices. Their love and appreciation for you will grow in years to come as they look back on this.
Another danger of which parents are rarely aware is that all kinds of devices have Internet browsers, not just the computer and smart phone. Game platforms, music devices, even some refrigerators have browsers. It is almost impossible to enforce a media fast in this age.
Steve,
You are absolutely correct about how available this stuff is. Teaching them to handle the choices wisely is the only real option. Thanks for your comment.