Did you know . . . ? India often produces more than a thousand films a year​—many more than any other country.

What to avoid. Many movies promote values that are contrary to Bible standards. Some feature graphic sex and violence, while others include supernatural themes. But the Bible says: “Put them all away from you, wrath, anger, badness, abusive speech, and obscene talk.” (Colossians 3:8) Furthermore, God condemns any acts that are associated with spiritism.​—Deuteronomy 18:10-13.

How to be selective. “If the trailer doesn’t seem appropriate, I won’t watch the movie.”​—Jerrine. *

“I never take someone’s recommendation unless I know for a fact that the person has the same values as I have.”​—Caitlyn.

“If I’m watching a movie in the theater and I start to feel uncomfortable with the content, I will walk out.”​—Marina.

“To help me know more about content, I use an Internet site that reports the level of sex, violence, and profanity in each movie.”​—Natasha.

Tip: Look for films that are less likely to contain objectionable material. “I thoroughly enjoy period pieces​—movies based on classic literature,” says a teen named Masami.

Did you know . . . ? More than a thousand books are published each week in the United States alone.

What to avoid. Similar to movies, many books promote values that are contrary to Bible standards. For example, some are sexually graphic or have spiritistic themes. But the Bible says: “Let fornication and uncleanness of every sort or greediness not even be mentioned among you.” (Ephesians 5:3) It also says that spiritistic acts are “bad in the eyes of Jehovah.”​—2 Kings 17:17.

How to be selective. “When looking for a good book, I read the back cover and browse through the chapters. If I see anything objectionable, I don’t buy it.”​—Marie.

“As I grew up and began thinking for myself, I realized the importance of listening to my conscience. If I determined that a book was bad, I would stop reading it. I realized that it didn’t harmonize with God’s thinking.”​—Corinne.

Tip: Broaden your taste. “I find that I can get much more engrossed in classic literature than modern fiction,” says Lara, 17. “The wording, the character development, the plots​—they’re just fantastic!”

Did you know . . . ? Four major music labels combined release some 30,000 albums a year.

What to avoid. Similar to movies and books, much music today is morally degrading. Explicit lyrics and graphic music videos can make it even more difficult for you to control your sexual urges. (1 Corinthians 6:18) “Much of today’s music encourages behavior that is against Bible standards,” says 21-year-old Leigh, “and the beat makes people want to dance​—and not the polka.”

How to be selective. “I ask myself, ‘If I were to let adult Christians scroll through my music list, would I be embarrassed by what they’d find?’ That helps to give me some perspective on the kind of music I should be listening to.”​—Leanne.

Tip. Be willing to try different genres. “My dad enjoys classical music, so I heard quite a bit of it as I was growing up,” says a teen named Roberto. “Learning about classical music​—while also learning to play the piano—​opened up a new world to me!”