Television with Value

This makes me sound really old, but I'm often disgusted when I watch tv.  I mean, seriously, there's so much trash out there!  I've had so many conversations with my girlfriends about how we're probably not going to let our kids even watch tv when they grow up if it's anything like today's programing.  I'll admit, I get my fair share of viewing shows like Teen Mom, Gossip Girl, The Bachelor, and many others.  I like to think that most of the programing doesn't have much affect on me though, I'm old enough that what I believe I've stood by for a long time.  I'm not as impressionable as I was as a teenage girl.  

I couldn't imagine being a teenage girl now though.  It seems like every show promotes sex, drinking, and a materialistic lifestyle.  It makes sex before marriage seem like no big deal.  Drinking?  Well that's at EVERY party (mind you, when I was in high school you had to LOOK for parties that had alcohol).  And material things?  Girls no longer are happy with receiving a car at their 16th birthday.  They are convinced they need to top of the line BMW complete with a huge 16 birthday bash at the nearest four seasons.  

I'm not trying to get down on young girls.  They're my favorite age group!  I'm just saying I would hate to grow up in their generation.  At least when I was in high school, it was still the popular thing to wear a purity ring.  They face so much temptation now days, so much pressure to grow up WAY before their time.  In fact, I saw on the news the other day that Walmart now has a Tween makeup line for girls ages 8-12.  8 year olds wear makeup??  Really?

Oh... I digress.

I recently discovered my tv has On Demand.  (I know, I'm a little behind the times)  So I was flipping through all the free programing offered to me, I came across the show "Make It or Break It".  You know..the gymnastics show on ABC Family.  Well, being bored I decided to watch an episode.  I couldn't believe it!  It was so good and.... get this... HAD MORAL VALUE!!!  

And the heavens opened up....

Seriously, every episode has a little moral lesson mixed into a great story line dealing with pressures and situations teenagers face everyday.  I'm beginning to have a renewed hope in tv programming.  

I just might let my kids watch tv after all!

So, if you have any teenagers/preteens in your life...steer them towards the good television and away from the bad.  But if they MUST watch the bad (Who Doesn't love the Bachelor?), then have conversations about how most shows don't represent real life.  

And then, pray.  Pray for the next generation coming up, because they are under a tidal wave of pressures that we've never had to deal with.  Pray that somehow they will manage to ride through their teenage years without compromising the things that matter most.  Pray they will still seek Jesus, even if "See You At The Pole" isn't where the 'cool' people go anymore.