I just finished my essay for my English class and I thought I would post it and see if I could get some feedback on it before I posted it for my class!! It would be greatly appreciated. Have you noticed that sexual suggestions seem to be everywhere in the media these days? These sexual suggestions may be scantily clad models in magazines and on billboards or sexual dialogue and sexually explicit scenes on television and in movies. Often times, sex is shown in a romantic manner and can be perceived as consequence free, giving the illusion that it is something that can be taken lightly and something to be done on a whim. Teens often have access to the same areas of media that adults do, which means they are being exposed to the same depictions of sexuality that we are. As a result, adolescent females in the United States are being influenced by the sexual content they see and hear in the media and they often make choices based on that influence.
Teens appear to be watching more television than they have in the past. In fact, according to Rand Health (2004), “the average American teenager watches three hours of television a day.” The shows that they watch often have one form or another of sexual content, from kissing to actual intercourse. In fact, “Typical teen fare contains heavy doses of sexual content, ranging from touching, kissing, jokes, and innuendo to conversations about sexual activity and portrayals of intercourse” (Rand Health 2004). Normally parents try to censor what their children watch, but sexual suggestions can still be found in shows that teenagers may be allowed watch. Oftentimes the sexual scenes on television are shown without consequence, so adolescents are being shown a fantasy, and not the true realities of sex. Teenagers watching this “fantasy” on television may not realize that what they are watching is not reality. With a skewed sense of sexual reality, adolescents may believe that the sexual-related content that they view on television is normal, which may lead them to make choices about their sexual lives that they would not normally make. Television is not the only form of media that is portraying sexual suggestions to females.
Another form of media that can influence a teenage girl’s view of sex is magazines. According to Gibbins (2003), teen magazines typically try to write articles that can boost a teenage girl’s self-esteem and morale, for example, the articles may be about overcoming obstacles and being comfortable in one’s own skin. These articles are good for teenage girls because they learn how to instill confidence in themselves, which could possibly help them make responsible decisions in the future. Unfortunately, often in that same magazine are articles on ways to get dates, how to have good make out sessions, how to copy sexy styles and pictures of scantily clad models in suggestive poses. Posting conflicting articles can put a sense of confusion in a girl’s head and can sometimes convey the wrong message. Girls may end up thinking that it is the norm to try to look sexy and to do things they normally would not do to try to get a guy. Gibbins (2003) goes on to explain that “instead of touching on sexual health related issues, these magazines focus on non-health related issues.” This means, magazines give teenage girls access to articles that can initiate sexual behavior and do not give the scary side of sex, like sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy, or the safe side of sex, like contraceptive knowledge.
Surprisingly, sexual concepts are being introduced to females at an even earlier age than would be expected. Some dolls on the market, for example, Bratz dolls and Bling Bling Barbie, are dressed in skimpy outfits, wear fish net stockings, and have on way too much make up. Little girls play with these dolls and as a result these young girls are being introduced to our sexual culture at a younger age, even before they realize what sexual behavior is. “Introducing kids to a world of sex, long before a child can process what sexuality even is, can be harmful to emotional development” (Aikin 2008). Being introduced to sexuality before they are ready can cause a child to have low self confidence and a low body image later on in life, and as a result may make them turn to doing things they would not normally do sexually. Another result of being introduced to a sexually charged culture is girls asking for things that exhibit sexuality, such as highlighted hair, navel piercings, skimpier clothes, and even cosmetic surgery, at a much younger age (Aikin 2008). Parents sometimes give in and provide their children with these items that exhibit sexuality, and as a result help fuel early sexual behaviors in their daughters.
One begins to wonder, how does being exposed to so much sexual content affect adolescents? Well, “teens exposed to the most sexual content on TV are twice as likely as teens watching less of this material to become pregnant before they reach age 20” (Park, 2008, ¶ 2). If that is not shocking enough, think of this. Teens that observe a large quantity of sexual content in the media are more likely to have intercourse at an earlier age. In fact, “Analysts surveyed a national sample of households containing an adolescent from 12 to 17 years old. A total of 1762 adolescents were asked about their sexual experiences and also their television viewing habits” (Rand Health, 2004, ¶ 3). They asked the adolescents questions to gage their exposure to three different types of sexual content on television. A year later the same households were called and the adolescents were again asked questions. The results were astonishing. The adolescents that were exposed to the highest amount of sexual content on television were twice as likely as the ones who were exposed to the lowest amount to have engaged in some sort of sexual activity over the year (Rand Health 2004). Fortunately, there are measures that parents can take to reduce the likeliness of their children experiencing sexual activity too early.
There are steps parents can take to ensure that their child will not become a statistic. Teens are often less likely to have sex when they have good relationships with their parents and they have a good family structure at home. “For young women, estrangement at home often leads them to seek and establish intimate relationships outside the family, seeking the warmth and support they lack at home” (The Surgeon General 2001). Children need to know that they have a good support system at home, so it should always be emphasized that a child can come to a parent to talk, no matter what the subject is. “Close, warm parent-child relationships are associated with both postponement of sexual intercourse and more consistent contraceptive use by sexually active adolescents” (The Surgeon General 2001). Parents should make sure to monitor what teens watch and their internet activity. Monitoring the teens activity ensures that they are not being overexposed to forms of media with high amounts of sexual activity. Teens are also less likely to engage in sexual activity when there are boundaries set up in the home. Rules and boundaries that are set need to be enforced. Monitoring a teenager too much and setting excessive boundaries can cause a teen to rebel and go against ones wishes, so it is important to make sure that monitoring does not become excessive (The Surgeon General 2001). Most importantly, parents need to set a good example for their children. Parents need to be sure to instill their values in their children, especially where they stand on teen sex.
Adolescent females are being influenced by the sexual suggestions they see and hear in the media, and they are making choices based on that influence. Adolescents are watching more television than they have in the past and as a result are being exposed to higher amounts of various forms of sexuality. The sexuality that teenagers are exposed to when watching television is often more fantasy than reality, which skews their judgment and can lead to rash decisions. Magazines are sending out conflicting messages, making it even harder to decide what is the norm, sex or confidence. Even children’s toys are become more brazen when it comes to sexual attitudes. As a result, teens exposed to high amounts of sexual suggestions are more likely to participate in sexual activities and become pregnant at a younger age. By monitoring exposure to sexual suggestions, teens will be less likely to experiment sexually and to have to suffer the consequences of poor sexual choices.
