Over Christmas break, I was hanging out with some friends and as we were playing some games in their basement, the topic of abortion was brought up. I stated my belief that all abortions are wrong. I did not think much of saying this as I assumed that they would at least somewhat agree with me. But shockingly, I was wrong. The two friends that were with me have been my friends since a very young age, and I know that they grew up in staunchly conservative families, yet they still were surprisingly of the pro-choice mindset. The disturbing thing is that they agreed abortion was murder and that it takes the life of an innocent child. This sounds contradictory, doesn’t it? How can one oppose abortion on moral grounds but still believe it should be allowed? The answer to this is the current generation of teens called Generation Z, apathy, complacency, and indifference.

When teens have everything we could ever need, such as a nice house, a TV, videogames, mindless social media apps, and countless other amenities, taking a moral stand on something can be stupid and even reckless. Taking a pro-life stand is controversial, potentially life ruining if seen by the wrong people on social media. Many people in this generation have no moral quandaries about abortion, but what is even more shocking it that some who do have problems with abortion are too indifferent or scared to say anything, even among people who they know agree with them. Morality for youth has been pushed to the wayside and this generation, even if they know something is wrong, will still go along with it for the sake of comfort and an easy life. The highest achievement for someone from Generation Z is creating for themselves an easy life, and sadly, most will do it by any means possible.

Conservative parents often raise their children thinking that their children will never stray from what they have taught them, but with the advent of social media and the effect of public education, this could not be more untrue. Again, both of these friends had grown up in conservative households. Their parents would be horrified if they knew the things that they told me that night. When we are bombarded by social media apps such as Tik Tok, Instagram, Twitter, and respected teachers that tell us abortion is not just acceptable, but something that should be celebrated, it is hard to take a stance that rejects it, even if you know deep down that it is wrong.

I know this firsthand since I was a victim of these lies. I was somewhat like my friends, believing that abortion was immoral, but I really did not care. I believe that it is more important than ever for parents to have in depth conversations with their teens about issues such as, but certainly not limited to, abortion. With the amount of brainwashing children are exposed to from a relatively young age, we all need to make sure that they are strong in their beliefs and cannot be swayed. This is why it is important to have regular conversations about this topic.

Talking to your child about abortion can be difficult, and thoroughly convincing them that it is wrong can be even harder. I am no expert, but I do have some recommendations that opened my eyes to the absolute horrors of abortion. In this day and age, people seem to care about “the science” and facts a lot. If something doesn’t have enough evidence to back it up, people will tend not to believe it. Back in the 70s, abortion advocates convinced women that the fetus in their stomach was nothing but a “blob of cells,” and quite frankly, that is what it looked like on an ultrasound screen back then. But with the technology we have now, we can clearly see that this “mass” is actually a living child. With today’s technology, we can see details such as the fingers, nose, toes, and other parts that can clearly show that this is a child that so many are willing to be allowed to kill.

Another thing that was jarring for me to see was Dr. Anthony Levantino’s testimony. As a warning, I would recommend watching this first before showing it to a child since it is very disturbing. Dr. Levantino was an abortion doctor. However, he has seen the truth, had a change of heart and is now fighting to protect the sanctity of human life. In this testimony, he describes in graphic detail the horrendous process of abortion. Many people do not grasp the severity of abortion. They just look at it as any other medical procedure, such as removing a tumor. In my earlier high school days, I somewhat looked at it in this way too. I assumed it was at least done in a humane and painless way. I did not realize that it was more like something out of a horror movie.

Another great resource to show teens is the movie Unplanned, which gives an inside look at the abortion industry from Planned Parenthood insider Abby Johnson. It would be hard for anyone to walk away from that movie unmoved and would certainly help teens understand that the abortion industry is a business and certainly not about their best interests.

The final and most important way I believe children can be raised to be strong in their pro-life beliefs is through their influence on social media. As I said earlier, social media for the most part is a cesspool of leftist ideology and brainwashing, but there are some good people out there. Teens today look up to YouTubers, Instagrammers, and other famous influencers. Whether it be a person that makes gaming content, or vlogs their travel adventures, they all can have a big influence on their audience. The problem with this is that most of these influencers, even if they are not political, will eventually spew some kind of leftist propaganda. With the way many young people look up to these influencers, they are likely to take whatever they say seriously and as near fact. Introducing your teen to influencers that are conservative and engaging is important, but difficult. Some good ones that I watch are Matt Walsh, Michael Knowles, and Charlie Kirk, but there are plenty to choose from. Most teens, if they have a phone, are inevitably going to use various social media apps, so introducing them to good influences can help tremendously with their stance on pro-life as well as other contemporary topics.

With all the attention abortion is getting in the news lately because of the U.S. Supreme Court case, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which could mean the end of Roe v. Wade, and the new Texas pro-life law, talking about abortion and spreading the pro-life message is extremely important since we know now that the Court listens to popular opinion, not the Constitution. What better time to do this than during the Sanctity of Human Life month which culminates in Washington D.C. on January 21,^st for the annual March for Life! My heart sinks when young people today are apathetic about such a serious topic, but perhaps with a lot of work, effort, and prayer, we can change that.