I generally don’t like to comment or offer my opinion on something I don’t have personal knowledge of. So I will make a disclaimer up front…I have never read (nor do I ever plan to read) “50 Shades of Grey.”
However, as a blogger covering teen topics and the mother of three teens, I have deep concerns over the rising popularity of this book. I am hearing more and more that it isn’t just adult women pouring over the pages; teens are also jumping on the bandwagon.
Here is what I do know…I have read enough reviews and heard enough stories on television to understand there is a lot of controversy surrounding the content of this book. Some have described it as “soft porn.” Others have provided examples of topics that are definitely too heavy for teens.
Now don’t get me wrong. It’s not that I’m a fuddy-duddy. It’s not that I don’t believe sex should be a closed topic for teens.
However, I do believe in being smart about the way our teens are educated on this subject. I also believe that we have to be careful about what we are saying is “normal” when it comes to this.
Even adult women might want to be cautious about what they allow into their minds. I made a decision many years ago to even stop watching “Lifetime” original movies. At least the ones that portray adultery as being okay.
I’m not saying that every person has to make this decision, or even that every mother has to tell her teen daughter they can’t read the book. I am just suggesting that we consider if there are alternative ways to look at the portrayal of women, sex and marriage.
The way I look at it, this is a fad (much like “Twilight”) that will pass over. However, I think every parent needs to make an informed decision about their teenager reading the book.
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