…yeah. That’s awkward. I wasn’t sure what to write about and these seemed controversial enough that it may seem harder, causing me to get a better grade. That was the logic behing it, so I chose it. It isn’t good, and I can’t stand the conclusion (it came down to crunch time, leaving me with only ten minutes to write it). I threw a couple of Bible verses in there, we’ll see what my teacher thinks about that. Who knows? Just for fun (and because there was a request to see it) I’ll post it. Keep in mind that it looks slightly better on paper because the format is all messed up on here.
Gen Y- Putting the “Y” In “Why Not?”
Sex. The action has been around since the beginning of mankind. Different people have different stands on it, morally and ethically. The growing trend in Generation Y is to engage in sex outside of marriage, and more specifically, before the age of 18. More people in Generation Y have sex before marriage or in teenage years than all other previous generations and this can be largely attributed to their knowledge about sex. The amount of sex amongst teenagers has gotten out of control. Sex education is taught all across the country and, as the popular quote by Sir Francis Bacon says, “Knowledge is power.” Based on the growing number of sexually active teens there are in
America, clearly sex education is not serving its purpose, which is to prevent the amount of sexual activity before marriage.
Sex is a Growing Problem
Human bodies were made and intended to perform sex. During teenage years, hormones are heightened to outrageous levels, causing many teenagers to engage in risky sexual activity. TIME Magazine did a study about the sexual behavior of teenagers in a small town and they found that, “A little more than half the 1,000 students in the only high school are sexually active; the average age of initiation: 15 ½” (Wallis par. 1). This shows the amount of sex taking place at one high school, but the article went on to say that these statistics were typical among teens today. This is what is truly alarming; statistics such as these are often overlooked because of the sheer normality.
Multiple severe consequences can be a result of sex, and teen pregnancy is one of those consequences. “But, teen pregnancy, in itself, is not such a bad thing” (Mathewes-Green 89). This statement condones doing whatever is wanted and whenever it is wanted. The article goes on to explain in detail how young parents are healthier and are more energized with young children than people who decide to have children later in life. While there may be some benefits to childbearing at a younger age, the consensus remains- unwed teens should not have children. Because it is almost rare for teenagers to be married, except for a few cases, there should not be teen pregnancy. Teen pregnancy has very life altering effects on teen parents, as well as on their babies.
What America fails to see is how this directly affects them. “American teens lead the world in unwanted pregnancies” (qtd. in “Outlook” par. 26). Many people find that statistic relatively alarming, but assume it is not their problem. On the contrary, most teen mothers end up going on welfare within five years of becoming a parent. (National 82) This uses tax dollars. Not only does teen pregnancy use tax money, but also causes more families to live in poverty. Most teen mothers do not finish high school, let alone go to college. The children of teenagers have increased chances of becoming teen parents themselves. The cycle continues, causing more poverty in
America.
Parents Need to Take Responsibility
Parents can potentially make a significant impact on their teenagers. Unfortunately, there has been a lack in responsibility on behalf of parents. “We, as adults, should not be so surprised or shocked when we take a hard look at society today” (qtd. in “Outlook” par. 26) on teenagers’ casual attitude toward sex. It is often a topic parents do not want to talk about, and perhaps they feel as though they would do a bad job of it. No excuses work for this one, it is about time that parents step up to take on responsibility with their children.
Some parents feel that regardless of what they do or say, their teenagers are likely to engage in sexual intercourse. “Whether mothers feel uncomfortable with discussing sex did not have any impact on whether either 14-15-year-old males or females initiated sexual intercourse during the one year study period.” (Blum 20) While this may seem like a reason to give up trying, it does not make sense to leave adolescents to learn things by experiment. Maybe many teenagers will still want to do what they want to do. The question is not so much of how often it is talked about, but how it is talked about and what is said. If parents really talked to their teenagers about sex in a loving way, explaining the consequences of sex before marriage, and the rewards of waiting until marriage, some students may re-think their rash decisions regarding sexual activity.
Parenting is a difficult job, there is no question about it. Some parents probably do talk to their children about sex, but go about it in the wrong way. A constantly loving relationship between parents and their children generate have more positive results. “The more disapproving adolescents perceived their mother to be toward their engaging in sexual intercourse, the less likely they were to have sexual intercourse” (Blum 18). Perhaps parents talk to their children and do not get the results they want because they are either unclear or disrespectful. Of course, parents who explain what sex is, without explaining their thoughts on the matter, get no results. Parents that are overly strict and just yell “Don’t have sex!” will also not see positive results.
Knowledge is Power
The famous quote “Knowledge is power” is commonly used when having knowledge on a particular topic may be advantageous. In this case, knowing too much about the ways to prevent the consequences of sex outside of marriage can be detrimental, especially without knowing what makes the consequences so bad. In school, students are taught about birth control and condoms to help “protect” from sexual diseases and teen pregnancy. “Condoms, the only form of birth control purported to stop disease and the spread of STDs, don’t work. ‘Safe’ sex isn’t safe. And the epidemic of STDs is due in part to this overconfident reliance on condoms” (Meeker 206). Knowing so much about preventing the consequences of sex leaves some teens asking “Why not?” Once they know of the dangers, and then believe that they should not fear those dangers, nothing is stopping them.
Others disagree, claiming that teaching about the use of condoms has made a significant impact on the epidemic of STDs. “The last thing we need is the government promoting the idea that condoms do no good. This approach will undermine the gains we have made and result in more people with HIV and other sexually transmitted infections” (qtd. in Boonstra 203). What is not mentioned is the increase in the amount of sexually activity since condoms have been so widely available. In general, teens no longer think about the future and the effects certain decisions may have on their future. Instead, teens focus on instant gratification. By giving them condoms, this is condoned.
Biblically, it is against God’s design to have sex before marriage. There is such a thing as forgiveness and mercy because He is a loving God, however in the Bible it says, “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable” (1 Thessalonians 4:3-4) This is one of the reasons not to have sex before marriage, because we are called to “live a life worthy of the Lord” (Colossians 1:10). Even to those who do not believe in the Bible, sex before marriage causes problems. Pregnancy and STDs are just some of the possible consequences. Another consequence would be the distrust within a marriage when one person in the marriage has already had sex. Sex is no longer sacred in the marriage.
Conclusion
Whether for religious reasons or for the sake of a future spouse, Generation Y should learn to truly ask the question “Why not?” in a manner that focuses on what can potentially occur before engaging in sexual activity. There needs to be a more thought out decision about sex and its consequences. Knowledge is power, but it is up to Generation Y to have the power to make a wise decision.
