Three Things This Week

1. Humble

What it is: Kendrick Lamar’sLinks to an external site. new single (from his album premiering today) is generating buzz due to his rivalries with DrakeLinks to an external site. and Big SeanLinks to an external site. (warning: profanities in lyrics).

Why it's important: “Beefing,” or attacking a rival via song, is not just celebrated in hip hopLinks to an external site. and society, it’s also cutthroat: A single song can end another artist's careerLinks to an external site.. But this love for drama doesn’t reconcile biblically: “The Lord’s servantLinks to an external site. must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone.” So where does competition fit? Perhaps Paul has an idea: “Each one should testLinks to an external site. their own actions. Th ey can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else.” Maybe competing against one’s past self allows ambition to manifest positively, rather than through divisive rivalries. Ask your teens, especially athletes and artists, about the pressure they feel from comparison. How can we best foster our desire to succeed—not to beat others, but to further God’s Kingdom?

2. RIP Cable

What it is: YouTube changed the game this week by releasing YouTube TVLinks to an external site., which provides live broadcasts from a growing list of major TV networks for only $35/monthLinks to an external site..

Why it's important: YouTube has been a dominant online presence since its start in 2005, with younger generations watching hours of video on the site each day. But up until now, live sports and cable TV have only been available through cable/satellite TV (unless you paid for individual networks). By adding live TV to infinite cat videos, YouTube is increasing its dominance and therefore our addiction to and dependence on the screens in our pocketsLinks to an external site..

3. College Transition Initiative

What it is: As seniors approach the end of high school, their next step looms on the horizon. The College Transition InitiativeLinks to an external site. from the Center for Parent/Youth UnderstandingLinks to an external site. offers resources to help you wisely guide them through this time.

Why it's helpful: We can never have enough help when it comes to helping our children make wise decisions and become adults who pursue God’s restoration in everything they do. Start with this guideLinks to an external site. for parents of seniors, then check out their other articlesLinks to an external site. and expert interviewsLinks to an external site..

Bonus: How many of theseLinks to an external site. do you know?

Join us for our next parent webinar: http://axis.org/webinar-registrationLinks to an external site.

P*rnhub’s SFW Marketing Campaign

On April Fools’ Day, website P*rnhub played a mean trickLinks to an external site. on its users, pretending to have automatically published their viewing history to their social media accounts. It’s a prank other p*rn websites probably wouldn’t try, but it fits well with PH’s overall marketing strategy: Its VP has talkedLinks to an external site. about commissioning G-rated marketing strategies to “spread the word that p*rn has something for everyone” (Note: We don’t endorse the perspective in previous article). They’ve put up billboards in Times Square (to which Fight the New Drug responded excellentl yLinks to an external site.), made “funny” Christmas ads in which grandkids give grandparents access to premium content, and as Time reported, even offered college scholarshipsLinks to an external site..

This is dangerous is because of its potential to be incredibly persuasive. They’re working hard to normalize p*rnography and demonstrate that it’s made and consumed by everyday, well-adjusted people—and that there’s nothing shameful or wrong about it.

It seems like the April Fools’ Day prank could’ve backfired. It had the potential to remind many users that what they’re doing is, at least deep down, not something they’re proud of. But even if it was a cruel prank, it still felt like the kind of prank one of your friends from college might pull, further adding to the friendly, harmless image they’re attempting to convey.

We believe it’s imperative to start talking with your sons and daughters (by age 10 at the latestLinks to an external site.) about the utter destruction p*rn brings to our spiritual, mental, emotional, and interpersonal selves, and to recognize what organizations like PH are doing to normalize their content. We offer an entire content packageLinks to an external site. to help parents and faith leaders prepare for and facilitate these very necessary conversations with teens.

Remind your teenagers that just as Gutenberg knew best how to explain the intention of the printing press, and the Wright Brothers knew best how to explain the intention of the first airplane, God knows best how to explain the intention of sex. Everything else—p*rn being at the top of the list—is a cheap counterfeit.