What Kind of Advice is Your iPod Giving You?

A study has just been released confirming what most parents and youth workers already know: regular exposure to sexual lyrics contribute to sexual promiscuity. A recent AP article reported:

Teens whose iPods are full of music with raunchy, sexual lyrics start having sex sooner than those who prefer other songs, a study found. . . . Songs depicting men as "sex-driven studs," women as sex objects and with explicit references to sex acts are more likely to trigger early sexual behavior than those where sexual references are more veiled and relationships appear more committed, the study found.

The study, based on telephone interviews with 1,461 participants aged 12 to 17, most of whom were virgins when the study began.

"Teens will try to deny it, they'll say 'No, it's not the music,' says Natasha Ramsey, the teen editor for Sexetc.org, “but it IS the music. That has one of the biggest impacts on our lives."

No wonder the Bible says (Psalm 1:1-2, NLT):

Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
or stand around with sinners,
or join in with scoffers.
But they delight in doing everything the Lord wants;
day and night they think about his law.

We’re constantly bombarded by “advice” from songs, films, and TV shows. Even provocative ads that pop up on MySpace tell us, “It’s nice to be naughty.” Wise is the person who will take the steps to reduce exposure to all of this “advice.” As this most recent study shows, we really are impacted by it all.