In the World, Not of the World

Last night, I was watching television with one of my relatives. She really enjoys watching one show on the television, and I really enjoy watching a different one, so we watch both. In between shows there is a little gap of time, and my relative wanted to change the channel early, so we didn't forget to change it in time. I asked her not to, as right before my show there is a show that has content that doesn't need to be in my life or in my mind.
I expressed my feelings, and she told me, "Megan, just because you don't want this stuff in your life doesn't mean that you have to hide. You can't be an ostrich with your head in the ground. You have to face this eventually." (As I don't take notes on every single conversation I have, this is paraphrased.)
While this was well-meant and I agree that you can't hide from the world, I don't agree that you should immerse yourself in immorality simply because it's there. The world is full of wonderful things, and some bad things. Some of these bad things are necessary to encounter, so we can make them better, but others we are not. We can walk away from a TV show whose purpose is to entertain through vulgar and crude means.  We can walk away from people whose language is below our standards. We can walk away from situations where immoral behaviour is shown as acceptable.
We can find far better options. Instead of watching a degrading TV show, we can watch one that is uplifting. Rather than people whose moral code is far below our own, we can become closer to people who encourage you to live your standards more fully. Instead of going to places where immorality is encourage, we can hang out in "holy places", as we have been commanded.

We have been told to be "in the world, but not of the world". When we choose to partake of degrading media, company, and situations, we are immersing ourselves so thoroughly in the world that we can't help but become what the world is. This is what we, as children of our Heavenly Father who have the Gospel, are told to do. This is what we must do, for the safety of our eternal souls.