Are American Adults Failing to Protect Their Children from the Entertainment Industry?

Yesterday, I was streaming music on YouTube while working on this website. As usual, I let the algorithm take control, enjoying a mix of genres and eras. Then, I heard a familiar voice—young Justin Bieber. We absolutely love Justin! His early music is nostalgic, and hearing it again was a pleasant surprise.

But as I continued working, the lyrics of "One Less Lonely Girl" grabbed my attention in a complete What the **** is little Justin singing? moment, I looked and found little baby Bieber singing the following to an easily 25 year old female star in the video:

[Verse 1 ]How many I told you’s and start overs and shoulders have you cried on before? How many promises, be honest girl, how many tears you let hit the floor? How many bags you packed, just to take them back, tell me that, how many either ors? But no more if you let me inside of your world, there'll be one less lonely girl.

[Verse 2] Christmas wasn't merry, 14th of February, not one of them spent with you. How many dinner dates, set dinner plates and he didn't even touch his food? How many torn photographs are you taping back, tell me that you couldn’t see an open door? But no more, if you let me inside of your world, there'll be one less lonely girl.

15 Year Old Justin Bieber Sings "One Less Lonely Girl" To A Fully Adult Co-Star.

Justin Bieber, born in 1994, was 15 years old when this song was recorded and released in 2009. A 15-year-old—marketed primarily to other children—singing about marital problems, emotional trauma, and adult heartbreak. He was too young to make a dinner reservation, let alone understand the dynamics of divorce and deep romantic despair. So, why was he singing about them?

Who Put These Words in a Child’s Mouth?

This song was not written by Justin. Instead, it was penned by a team of adult producers and songwriters, including Ezekiel Lewis (now president of Epic Records), Balewa Muhammad, Sean Hamilton, John "J.R." Harris, and Hyuk Shin. These individuals, seasoned in the industry, consciously crafted lyrics about adult relationship struggles and had a minor child perform them for a target audience of minors. And nobody seemed to question it.

It raises a bigger question: Why has Western society allowed the entertainment industry to push children into singing about adult topics and market these themes to other children?

The Hypocrisy of Cultural Oversight

In the 1990s, politicians waged war on rap music, claiming it was a corrupting influence. They sought to censor artists who criticized the government and addressed systemic issues. The Dixie Chicks were effectively blacklisted for criticizing a sitting president. Yet, these same figures had nothing to say about the music industry scripting adult themes into the voices of children and selling it as entertainment to other children. Why the selective outrage?

If we care about the well-being of American children, we cannot continue to ignore the dangers they have and are still exposed to in the entertainment industry. | Photo Credit: Be Well & Co.

The Music Industry’s Exploitation of Minors

Fast forward twenty years. We now see Hollywood moguls like Sean Combs (P. Diddy) arrested and facing multiple allegations of abuse, including crimes against minors in the industry. The revelations about him are disturbing, but the real question is: Would he have been able to operate this way if the entertainment industry had not enabled, facilitated, and protected predators?

The industry’s exploitation of children was never a secret—it happened in plain sight, orchestrated by powerful individuals with unchecked control. When no one questions why children are being given adult material, why minors are pushed into hypersexualized roles, and why they are conditioned to normalize inappropriate relationships, it creates a breeding ground for abuse.

The Hard Question: Are American Adults Failing Their Children?

The entertainment industry does what it does because we let it. We point fingers at individual bad actors, but we fail to hold the system accountable. American lawmakers regulate education and mainstream employment, but where is the oversight for child performers in the entertainment industry? Where are the journalists and politicians demanding reform?

And an even harder question—as everyday Americans, are we complicit through inaction?

Moving Forward: What Kind of Society Do We Want for Our Children?

If we care about the well-being of American children, we cannot continue to ignore the dangers in the entertainment industry. We must demand:

• Stricter oversight and child labor laws in entertainment

• Accountability for record labels and film studios profiting off minors

• Serious journalistic investigation into predatory industry practices

• An end to forcing children to sing, act, and perform adult themes

If we truly care about protecting children, we must stop allowing entertainment executives to exploit them for profit. Because if we don't, we have to ask ourselves: Do we, as American adults, truly care about the well-being of our children?