Teen Sex Linked to Television

Fox News confirmed today just another reason that I never had a television growing up nor as an adult have owned one. Since Kent and I don’t own a television we don't view them on vacations, business, trips, etc. Kent and I have NEVER turned one on nor have we allowed one to be turned on by our children. Sadly, I’m sure when my children have stayed with others they probably have viewed television but they clearly KNEW they were breaking the house rules. There is enough peer pressure for teens to become sexually active before marriage without the added influence of television.

I pray every day for my children – all three of them. Just last night I prayed during prayer service for God to guard their minds and spirits. For Him to help them keep the Holiness Doctrines they were taught or even increase their convictions. No two families are reared the same I pray that Calah will understand the teachings Trent received. I also prayed last night that when it is time for God to give Redonia a spouse that it will be someone that will have her teachings or will not influence her to allow things in her home and life that she was not raised to have. I truly believe that without holiness no man can please God. I also KNOW that holiness of the spirit will manifest itself outwardly. My children have not been harmed by not having television and other forms of media apart of their lives.

Following are a few excerpts from Fox News:
The study was released Monday in the November issue of Pediatrics. It involved 2,003 12- to 17-year-old girls and boys nationwide questioned by telephone about their TV viewing habits in 2001. Teens were re-interviewed twice, the last time in 2004, and asked about pregnancy. Among girls, 58 became pregnant during the follow-up, and among boys, 33 said they had gotten a girl pregnant.

Participants were asked how often they watched any of more than 20 TV shows popular among teens at the time or which were found to have lots of sexual content. The programs included "Sex and the City," "That '70s Show" and "Friends."

Pregnancies were twice as common among those who said they watched such shows regularly, compared with teens who said they hardly ever saw them. There were more pregnancies among the oldest teens interviewed, but the rate of pregnancy remained consistent across all age groups among those who watched the racy programs.

Chandra said TV-watching was strongly connected with teen pregnancy even when other factors were considered, including grades, family structure and parents' education level.

"Media helps shape the social script for teenagers. Most parents know that. This is just good research to confirm that," Albert said.

"For a kid who no one's talking to about sex, and then he watches sitcoms on TV where sex is presented as this is what the cool people do," the outcome is obvious, Walsh said.

I am glad that the United Pentecostal Church maintains the stand that its ministers cannot have a television. Last year it did vote to allow for television advertising but maintained its stand against the personal viewing of television. In fact every two years its ministers sign an affirmation statement basically stating that they support the teachings, etc of the UPCI. It doesn’t take signing that form for Kent and me to maintain these Doctrines. They are embedded in our hearts. Thank you Fox News for reporting what we already knew!