The Impact of Sex in the Media on Society Essay

* For teens, television is a major source of information about sex. A survey conducted in 1997 by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 61 per cent of young teens, ages 13-15, rated entertainment media as their top source of information on sexuality and sex health. This should concern parents because although two-thirds of TV shows contain sexual content, only one in ten includes any reference to safe sex or the consequences of unprotected sex.

In the last decade or so, however, the growing awareness of the dangers of AIDS does appear to have contributed to a decline in the rates of sexual intercourse among teens. The Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that between 1991 and 2005 the percentage of teenagers who are sexually active dropped from 57.4 percent to 46.3 percent among males and from 50.8 percent to 44.9 percent among females. The rates of pregnancy, abortion, and sexually transmitted disease among teens have actually dropped even faster than the rate of sexual activity. So it appears that, in addition to postponing sex, teens are also becoming more responsible in their sexual activities. For example, the Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that 87.5 percent of teens were either abstinent or used condoms. Of course, that means that 12.5 percent of teens were still having unprotected sex, but that is a significant improvement over past decades. Similarly, although the rate of teen pregnancy has declined, more than 11 percent of the babies born in the United States

Sexuality and sex in America is a complicated subject in that there is little consensus on the topic of sex in, and the American media sends many mixed messages regarding sex and sexuality to everyone, not just to adolescents. Americans are aware of sex primarily through advertising (print media, commercials, etc.) as sex is used to sell anything and everything. The media also bombards Americans with sexuality and sex on television and in films. The sexuality of teenagers is not a straightforward issue in America either. Many parents do not discuss sex or sexuality with their children. There have been ongoing debates as to whether sexuality should be taught as part of school curricula because there are such a great deal of adolescents participating in reckless and/or dangerous sexual behaviors, largely because they are grossly uneducated about sex. The paper will reference the film Juno and other texts as a meditation on the relationship between adolescent sexuality and the media.

There are many things that influence a person’s sexuality, ecspecially teenagers. This is correct because teenagers, want so badly to fit in. They want to be the in crowd not the out crowd. We the society is in the middle of major changes, people are starting to see the world differently and what we use to see as reality, is no longer what the younger generation is seeing as reality. Reality has changed because sex is no longer seen as just the “cool”, thing to do, but has almost come to be understood as a rite of passage To teenagers it seems as when they become sexually active, then they have become an actual member of society. I believe television is one of the main causes for the change in society. Television is a twenty-four hours activity, that brain washes teenagers

It all starts from when a kid is still a kid. Sex is glamorized and there is no consequences on the big screen, but what children do not realize is that there are many. Studies show that kids today are watching more and more sexual/ violent content in video games and on TV. It may not seem like a problem to them, but it is much bigger than a problem.

Research has greatly indicated and proven that media exposure has an impact on the normative perceptions of substance use and relationship behaviors among adolescents. Studies have shown that media content and patterns of usage are considerably related to adolescent perception of gender roles, romantic relationships, and sexual behavior. Repeated contact or subjection to sexualize subject matter on television or different forms of media has been related to individuals perceived normative gender roles (Herrett- Skjellum & Allen, 1996). Negative and socially impaired beliefs about relationships, for example such as ‘‘fate brings soul-mates together, disagreement is destructive to a relationship, partners should be able to sense each other’s thoughts and feelings’’ (Holmes, 2007). Also with persistent disclosure to sexually explicit content related with more positive attitudes or norms toward “uncommitted sexual exploration” as well (Brown and Bobkowski, 2011).

The main topics you hear these days when it comes to sex are about how someone has a strong “pullout game” or about a pregnancy. It is a falsehood throughout our generation that pulling out during sex and not ejaculating into a woman’s vagina will prevent pregnancies. These are not the things that our younger generation should grow up with, they are having unprotected sex because they were never taught the consequences of being unprotected. As ads get sexier and celebrities get sluttier, the word sex is getting to become more tempting. The article The Mass Media Educate Youth About Sex by Jane Brown and Sarah Keller states, “Typically, those who own and create communications media have been more concerned with attracting audiences and selling products than they have been promoting healthy sexuality.” Our generation has become embedded with erotic thoughts and actions. Anna Quindlen mentioned, “When I was in high school, at the tail end of the sixties, there was a straightforward line on sex among my friends. Boys could have it; girls couldn’t. A girl who was not a virgin pretended she was.” It was almost unthinkable to talk about sex in earlier generations, or even mention other aspects of sex instead of the typical man-women intercourse. In the article dating back to the year 2000 by Jane Brown and Sarah Keller they acknowledge, “Sexually transmitted diseases

Television, movies, music, magazines, and the Internet constantly portray sex unrealistically. The media advertises sex, but rarely promotes healthy sexual behavior (sex, sexuality..). Due to the lack of parental guidance, adolescents turn to the media to teach them about sex. Adolescents take their image very seriously and will do anything to be popular and cool- even if it means subjecting themselves to the views and standards that the media has set.

Adolescent sexual behavior has been a critical issue for many years and has become more predominant every day. Teens are at a point in their lives where they want to explore themselves, test their independence and see how they fit into society. There are many influences that can potentially contribute to their sexual behavior during these critical years of their lives. The purpose of this paper is to discuss three factors that may play a role in teen’s sexual behavior: peers, parents and the media.

Not only is TV causing adolescents to become more curious but it is also influencing ideas about what is normal and expected during sexual activity (Kittleson 74). Because the way sex is present on TV, adolescents depict it as an activity without risks or consequences. Adolescents become oblivious to unplanned pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and even sex addiction. It was until recent years that TV networks like MTV start airing reality shows about teenage girls becoming young parents. Shows such as Teen Mom and 16 & Pregnant have a reverse effect on society because the teenage mothers of these shows are becoming celebrities off their pregnancies. This effect can leave adolescents confused about

An observation of the prevalent television programs and popular topics broadcasted in the media often depict teenagers with an air of promiscuity. Is teenage pregnancy really an uncontrolled epidemic, as depicted in shows such as “16 and Pregnant”? Are a vast majority of teenagers exchanging racy photos of their bodies with each other? If so, are teenagers acting out because of too much sex education? Or is the outbreak of hyper-sexualized activity linked to lack of formal knowledge regarding sex? These are valid questions when contemplating the teaching of sex in public high schools across the United States. Sex education should be incorporated into the public school’s curriculum because it would dismiss the myths that continue to circulate, may address the embarrassing questions thought of by many, and holds the teen more responsible for their choices.

According to author and researcher Jean Twenge in her book Generation Me, this generation has very different views on sex. Many teens have no guidance from a responsible adult and so rely on the media. In this recent generation, responsibility is minimal. This generation often feels as if their actions have no consequences. This laidback attitude about sex can be fun, but very dangerous.

Modern media has some bad effects on children. Modern media can guide children in the inappropriate behavior. Behavioral scientist Steven Martino explored these very issues then gave people some results. First, more sexual content that kids see on television, the earlier they initiate sexual activity, the more likely they are to regret their early sexual experiences, and the more likely they are to have an unplanned teen pregnancy. Second, there is a strong causal connection between youth exposure to

Media boardrooms have become corporate playgrounds which consistently intensify the raciness of its images and videos to maintain the shock-value of sex. Consequently, all forms of sex have become increasingly acceptable. It is no longer considered taboo to perform sexual acts soon after meeting an individual. Sex was once restricted to married couples, but even pre-teenage children have lost their innocence. Due to its unspoken nature within families, parents are often unaware of their child’s/children’s sexual activity. Only exposed to the attractive side of sex conveyed by the media, children do not receive appropriate education, resulting in teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. The saturation of sexual messages by the media would lead an outsider to believe that we are very permissive of sexual behaviour, yet the very opposite is taught at the family level.

As the years progress, the influence of sex has taken a more profound effect on teenagers. Nowadays, it seems that sex is everywhere. The television shows, the Internet, magazines and even the movies almost always have a “sex scene” in them or portray sex in some sort of way. Because the industry is realizing