Parents are often disturbed to find their children spending valuable time and hard-earned money on things that contradict biblical principles. For example, it can be distressing to discover that young people devote hours listening to music with ungodly lyrics.

Al Menconi thinks he knows why. In his publication Media Update, he observed that popular music meets three basic needs of today's youth: (1) The artists (via tapes, CDs, and videos) spend huge amounts of time with the young person. (2) The stars accept the young person as he or she is. (3) The performers relate to the young person's problems.

Of course, those musicians do not actually love your son or daughter, Menconi points out. They're in it for the money. But they do meet the three basic needs of companionship, acceptance, and identification. Fulfilling these needs is the primary job of parents. When they fail, young people fill that void with something else.

Are you spending time with your children, loving them unconditionally, and trying to be understanding? If not, you may be causing them to run into the open arms of those who might meet their needs, but who care nothing about them.  — Dave Branon