Parents, we all know that music is a huge deal to this generation of young people. That’s not anything new: for decades, the generational gap has been shown through changes in musical tastes and preferences.

What is new is the amazingly rapid changes in music technology that have enabled a generation of music-lovers to possess a world of music at their fingertips through the internet. Musical formats have changed before: LPs yielded to cassette tapes which yielded to CDs. But the digital revolution is radically changing the rules, making music far cheaper and more portable than ever before.

The ease of copying digital music raises important ethical considerations for the Christian. I so appreciate that Bob Kauflin shares on his blog some Random Thoughts on MP3 Downloads and Copies. He cites a Barna report stating that “only 1 in 10 teenagers think music piracy is morally wrong.” However, as Christians, we’ve been called to a higher standard than simply crying, “Everyone else is doing it!”:

Romans 13:1, Deut. 5:19, and Eph. 4:28 come to mind. While file sharing, copying CD’s for friends, and downloading music illegally is easy and attractive, it’s still wrong, despite our rationalizations…

Parents, is this a conversation you’ve had with your kids? Do you know where your teen is getting his music? What does she think about sharing and copying music? Does his iPod contain illegally obtained music? Do you have a conviction about this? If not, why not? Please read Bob’s comments and talk to your kids about their music.

Categories: Thursday Thoughts For Parents, five15 blog