 In a generation filled with DVR’s and Netflix I have somehow missed an epidemic that is chasing after the hearts of our children. There is no doubt that our culture is sex crazed. Anything that is self-gratifying rather than God honoring, our culture wants to teach our children that “it’s ways” aren’t all that bad. They desire to de-sensitize young minds to things that are barbaric and counter biblical. I have known this but there’s one way I hadn’t considered the urgent need to guard my children. Yesterday afternoon at 4pm I was turning on the news for my grandmother. My children were sitting in the floor playing, and as I was talking to her during the commercials I looked up and noticed a HORRIFYING commercial. I can’t tell you which one it was, or what it was about, I can tell you what I saw in that brief moment but I was too busy trying to find the remote to turn it off. The Hardee’s commercial’s pushed the line and now companies like Go Daddy and so many others want to be as seductive as possible to sell their products. I have no idea how a mostly naked woman, taking her bathing suit off, while eating a sandwich and being ogled by a man sell’s a sandwich. But I guess it does or maybe the minds behind these products are so entrapped in pornography themselves that they can’t creatively think any other way. That statement is not meant as a slam it’s just the hard truth of pornography. I don’t watch much TV and when I do it’s on DVR or Netflix so I have somehow missed how bad these commercials have become DURING DAYTIME HOURS! Guess who hasn’t though - Our Children. You know that stations like Nick, the HUB and any Disney channel beyond Disney Jr. accept billions of dollars to advertise to our children. I heard all about it from my children at Christmas. “Mommy I need this …Mommy I want that…”. Creating a seed in the heart of my children that says, I’m not complete or good enough unless I have…you name it. We don’t watch those stations at our house. But I worry about when my children are with their Grandparents who are watching the News or anything else on regular television - or even allowing my children to watch the children’s stations I just mentioned, because they think, “it’s just cartoons – how bad can it be”. When the truth is just because it’s animated does not make it safe. During the commercials is when I get up to throw laundry in the dryer or take a bathroom break, it’s not the time I consider safeguarding my children from the television. I had never considered the danger of walking out of the room and leaving my child unattended during a completely innocent show – because of the commercials. What are your thoughts? Am I the only one who hadn’t seen this til now?  About Melissa Melissa Bradley is married with two small children. She serves at a church plant in Hendersonville, NC. The passion of her heart is to live every day missionally. You can also find Melissa at Beautiful Mommy Feet, she and her husbands personal ministry page, a women’s ministry page -Radiance and on Facebook. Sharing this article over at these awesome blogs.
10 Comments
Kylee
2/23/2013 07:57:32 am
This is all too true! We've had friends who had to stop watching Wheel of Fortune because of the commercials. I find that even educational websites have ads that are not appropriate. And then, there's all the "great" books we read as kids! Many of them have things in it that young people should not be reading.
Kylee,
J
2/23/2013 11:30:21 am
Yes, I think you are a little late, but I thank God that you have listened to the Holy Spirit showing you the dangers lurking in the airwaves. This is where the devour loves to lurk... and is very good at it. Yes, commercials are awful at all hours of the day, except on PBS and Disney Jr. The ones that bother me are the horror movie ones. Have you noticed the ones where the kids have seizures because they are possessed?! Or where they are throwing up blood, or being pulled around in a pool of blood? I always push the 'back' button on our remote that flips the channel quickly to another station. I am far more concerned about my toddler son seeing a hurt child or scary demon than a naked woman, but when he is older the naked women will be a problem too.
Oh that's disturbing. No I haven't. It didn't even occur to me until the day that I wrote this post a month ago that it had been, easily years since I had actually sat through a commercial. We don't watch much television and when we do it's from whats recorded on DVR, so we fast forward them or Netflix. :)
Beth Jensen
3/5/2013 01:56:18 am
Hi, Melissa. You're not crazy. But it's time that we start expecting this from the world. As soon as you turn on secular anything, just expect you'll have to be hyper aware. I stopped turning on anything because no matter what station it was I couldn't sit there and filter it for my kids enough... or for myself for that matter. My kids will only watch movies that I've hand picked, watched, and reviewed. :) And I tell them why. It's a teaching moment for them (my kids are 4 and 6). I took my sons to the grocery store this week, and going through the checkout they saw a soft porn magazine right there in their face... Come ON! I can't even go to the grocery store without that nonsense being in my kid's face?! yes. 3/9/2013 09:55:14 am
So True Beth. Oh my word it's everywhere. My son LOVES Superheroes right now, but I can't allow him to watch the cartoons because the women - in the cartoons created for 6yr old boys are in skimpy clothes boasting cleavage and major curves. Oh I pray for the Lord to guard the heart of my son as the world chases after it, even at this young age.
Melissa,
Thanks Amy! It's such a challenge to filter - I can't imagine how hard it will be when my children get older, with cell phones, Facebook and Twitter and a whole host of "teen drawing" things I have yet to learn of. I'm not saying at what age we will allow these things or even if we will or how we will - I'm not there yet but that's what I'm learning now there are things I'm sheltered from - that I don't know about or haven't considered that are pursuing the hearts of my children. Being vigilant in the things that have the power to warp the tender heart of my children is my prayer. 3/19/2013 08:06:45 am
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