According to the Center on Media and Child Health more than
70% of the top 20 TV shows contain some type of sexual content; 45% of those
shows contain actual sexual behavior. Interestingly, a recent study by the
Kaiser Family Foundation reported that “most” children aged 11 to 13, and “some”
children aged 8 to 10, understand the sexual content including the jokes and
innuendos. Furthermore, the Kaiser study examined 50 hours of primetime
programming. During those 50 hours, they identified 156 acts of sexual
intercourse (and only 5 references to safe sex or HIV/AIDS).
Based on the theories we have discussed in class, our
readings for today, and your own research, how and in what ways might the media
influence adolescent sexually and social development directly, and other
antisocial behaviors indirectly? What factors might be mediating influences? If
you choose, you may also argue that the media have no influence.
Due: Nov. 4 @ 5 p.m.
The issues that I have with the way that media portrays sex may be partially defined by my religious preferences and past socialization, but our readings confirmed some of the dangers that accompany our over-sexualized society and media.
ReplyDeleteThe article “Understanding the role of entertainment media in the sexual socialization of American youth: A review of empirical research” described the role of media in educating kids and adolescents about sex. One sentence that really stuck out to me was “while parents and peers are important sources of sexual information, they are not the sole sources, and possibly not the most influential.” I won’t go into great detail about how my parents talked to me about sex, but I will say this, they didn’t say much. To their credit, they did talk to me on a few occasions about sex, but most of my understanding about sex came from my peers and the media. I tend to think that this is happening more often than ever and partially because the media reaches kids regarding this topic sooner than the parents do. I don’t think that parents will ever be able to control the content or ideas of their children, but perhaps speaking with them earlier and more openly will help them navigate the confusing messages that will come their way.
Most media tends to be one-sided in their depictions of sex. The implications and negative effects that can come from engaging in sex are rarely shown. When consequences of behavior are omitted and only the enjoyable and fun side of sex a depicted, adolescents will likely develop unrealistic expectations about sex. Negative effects can include more than just STD’s and early pregnancy, unhealthy behaviors can ruin relationships and heartache. This one-sided delivery of messages is harmful; especially to those who aren’t yet old enough to understand the way healthy relationships work.
The adolescent years are crucial in social and sexual development. The amount of media consumption continues to increase and on average adolescents spend more time with media than they do with school, friends, or family. When enough time is spent doing something, there are going to be lasting effects no matter how hard you try. I thought it was interesting that the research on pornography included the following: “Both the theoretical and empirical findings we have reviewed support the notion that, although the majority of men are not influenced by pornography exposure, some who possess certain characteristics or underlying cognitive structures are negatively impacted by such exposure.” Though I agree that some men may not “act out” based on pornography consumption, the effects on the mind and perceptions of women in general are always present. I also think that anti-social behavior can be a negative outcome of pornography, but there are likely other social issues that arise even for those that remain social.
Engle, Brown, and Kenneavy (2005) found that “adolescents who are exposed to more sexual content in their media diets, and who perceive greater support from the media for teen sexual behavior, report more sexual activity and greater intentions to engage in sexual intercourse in the near future.” This finding is one of the more alarming insights from our reading. It is scary to think that when young people engage in sex, they likely have the assumption that it will be similar to what they saw on TV. This means that the media is likely setting the standards that inform the normative beliefs of the majority of youth.
Studying sex in the media and its effects is difficult because of the diversity in sexual content as well as the difference in people. I do think that just like violent content, the effects can vary widely based on the individual and the way they were socialized. Studies around the way sex is portrayed in the media and its effects will become increasingly valuable, as the levels of promiscuity in the media have exploded.
Parents are being taught these days to talk to kids at very young ages about sex. You might be shocked about what my kids (and their peers) know, and pleasantly surprised by what a healthy frame they are given. We have lots of experts and such teaching us how to discuss things at the right level for different ages...because we know if we don't teach them, someone else, or something else, will. We have yet to see what this generation of kids raised with this young talking will turn out like - a good longitudinal study actually.
DeleteGlad to hear the conversations are taking place earlier! I agree that it would be interesting to do a longitudinal study on this.
DeleteMy mom slowly educated me a little at a time. I felt like that was helpful because it wasn't all at once but more strategic. Just enough info to fill me in and keep me educated.
DeleteI like that it was a gradual discourse shae'la. Just like the example in the talk by Elder Foster this last conference
DeleteAdolescent exposure to sexual content in the media clearly has to potential to cause effects. But like nearly every other topic we’ve discussed in class so far, there are a lot of qualifying factors, limits, and outside influences that determine what kind of influence and what extent that influence has.
ReplyDeleteFrom the readings, it’s clear that sexual images, portrayals, and messages are becoming more and more prevalent in our media. In addition, access to that kind of media has opened up exponentially with the growth of the internet. While it’s pretty typical to point and scream at this kind of trend, I wouldn’t call all of it totally evil. Don’t get me wrong – I am not a fan of sexual content in the media – but I think the well-handled portrayals can have some positive effects.
Social learning theory and cultivation theory both lend the idea that exposure to media over time can influence our beliefs and behaviors and that the media can act as a socializing agent, especially for developing adolescents. I think one positive factor of some of the sexual content in the media is that people are more open to talking about it. While I personally think that the media at this point has really over-shot the boundaries of appropriate sexual content, I think it helps adolescents understand that it is part of the human existence and that they will have to deal with the topic in various ways as they mature.
I remember my mom telling me that her mom told her that while she was growing up, there was such a taboo on the topic that a lot of people were taken completely by surprise about some of the facts/experiences of human sexuality. At least in our day, adolescents are comfortable talking about it and learning about it. Some of the media content really do handle this topic well, encourage safe-sex, respect for your partner, and even abstinence. But sadly, there is much more of the opposite. Too many people take it too lightly these days and negative (and even dangerous) attitudes can be easily proliferated.
Another socializing influence media portrayals can have (for better or for worse) is providing adolescents with scripts for experiences they have not had an opportunity to experience or observe directly. This could lead to unrealistic expectations and less-than-desirable attitudes and behaviors, but it could also help audiences feel more confident.
But then, there is the issue of pornography, which leads to all negative effects in my opinion. Addiction to this negative type of sexuality can only lead to bad attitudes, destructive behaviors, reinforcement of harmful stereotypes, anti-social behavior, and so on. Especially without the influence of other strong socializing factors, this type of media exposure can be extremely harmful (even though some research results don’t necessarily reflect that).
Finally, it is important to address the fact that the media are not the only socializing agent for adolescents. Peers, family, religion, school, etc. are all important influences that can lend a hand in adolescents’ interpretation of what they are seeing in the media and their overall understanding/attitudes about sex. Individual circumstances and tendencies also have a huge impact. Some people are simply more prone to the specific effects of the media than others, as does their likelihood to accept or resist parental/adult messages that promote more healthy sexual attitudes and behaviors.
I love that you used the work "script". I completely agree. For anyone who had not experiences sexual intimacy for themselves, media gives them a script of expectations. Because that is the only real reference they have, that's the majority of what they know and it's not real.
DeleteI think the development of normative beliefs for risky sexual behavior is quite likely. I recall many of my peers in California when learning of my intentions to wait until marriage told me I needed to get real...but, it felt like they were saying "get like what we see on TV." I feel like a lot of social learning about what relationships are supposed to look like. I think a big thing that is taught through media is the relationship conquest that's all about ego feeding or maybe just validation. For guys it's getting the dedicated to purity girl to give that up for him because he's just so special. For girls, it's getting the bad boys to settle down just for her because she's just so special. I would love to see a warning label on these romantic shows that says "Guys, you should care about purity too, and girls - you're really really not going to change him."
ReplyDeleteSome mediating factors could be: mental health, schema for how big a deal high risk sexual behavior is, family background, peer influence, culture, and opportunity.
I was quite struck by the reading that suggested how porn was especially a risky pastime for those already on the psychopathy spectrum...and the General Conference talk "Lord is it I" https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/lord-is-it-i?lang=eng came strongly into my mind. Our culture generally thinks of psychopathy as belonging to the to stuff of horror films; it's a thing for really creepy cereal killers...but the reality is that psychopathy is actually a pretty wide spectrum and has a lot of quite likable people who just have some vague distortions in their empathetic capacities. So, what teen on this likable side of the psychopathy spectrum is going to even be aware that they are in that spectrum? Are they going to be thinking "Lord is it I?" Most of these mildly psychopathic teens need to grow up, and get some years of destructive evidence under their belts, before even thinking "maybe something is a little wrong with me." In the meantime, what damage is done?
Also, scripting anyone?, pretty intense what Prof. Dines says about positions (for lack of better tactful words) girls are now being pressured with (and raped with) that are following the exact timing what is being displayed in popular pornography. http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/jul/02/gail-dines-pornography
I totally agree about the normative beliefs. We think it's normal and that everyone is just having heated sexual relations with anyone. It's always steamy and exciting (and often there is risk involved). Because we are seeing it everywhere in the media we assume it's really happening and that's it's the norm.
DeleteI remember sitting in “Sex-Ed” in the seventh grade. I was still pretty naïve on the topic of sexuality, but one student made a comment I found completely absurd. The teacher was talking about rape; a guy next to me raised his hand and asked, “But doesn’t rape feel good?” I was old enough to know right from wrong, and there was nothing right about that ignorant, antisocial statement. At the time, I did not question where this student got the idea. (By the way, I know he was sexually active, because he felt inclined to talk about his escapades during art class.) Looking back, and knowing what I know now, I’m guessing the media played a significant role in the student’s attitude towards rape.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Malamuth and Check (1981, 1985), investigators found “sexually violent pornography that depicts women as enjoying the experience . . . influences the degree to which men report the acceptance of rape myths.” I don’t know what kind of pornographic material my peer had been exposed to (those days the World Wide Web did not exist for public use) or what explicit television program or movie he had watched, but something apparently had to influence his reprehensible thought about rape. A particular sexual representation in the media could have led him to assume that’s how rape felt in the real world. Gerbner’s cultivation theory proposes “television’s consistent yet restricted images and portrayals construct a specific portrait of reality, and as viewers watch more and more television, they come to cultivate or adopt beliefs about the world that coincide with this portrait” (Ward, 2003). In this sense, media over time directly influences normative beliefs about intimacy, and adolescent social development.
Through Bandura’s cognitive and social learning theory, adolescents learn what behaviors are appropriate and inappropriate through the observation of media models (Ward, 2003). Unfortunately, media models aren’t always the best role models. If nearly half of the top 20 TV shows contain actual sexual behavior (and I assume mainly between unmarried couples) then that is the “model” adolescents have to cultivate their normative beliefs about sexuality. If 156 hours of sexual intercourse are portrayed in 50 hours of primetime programming, with only 5 references to safe sex or HIV/AID, then that’s the attitude teens could cultivate about the importance of using protection, absence of proper parental and/or secular guidance and influence.
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DeleteOthello, i too remember kids saying things that were off the wall and talking about their suggestive behavior as a type of honor. But you're right. Knowing what we know now, I pity those that were exposed to such explicit material. I wonder what other moderating factors led him to say such an extreme statement. Perhaps his parents did not really play a huge part in his socialization or maybe he was just unfortunately exposed to severely sadistic content to effect his beliefs. Hopefully he was able cease such media behavior and other behaviors
DeleteOne thing that struck me when reading this question initially was the thought that I remember being a kid and not getting the sexual references and telling my parents that I did. I didn't want to look stupid. Hey, we're supposed to be critical thinkers right? All I'm pointing out is how hard it is to really study media effects as a direct influence. Now, is there a correlation between media exposure and behavior and attitude? Yes. Especially when dealing with a taboo topic like sex. Violence is something parents are more willing to deal with, ("don't hit your brother!") but the stigma and uncomfortably with talking to your kids, makes it difficult. TV shows make light of it, they can even make it seem romantic or funny. TV shows don't talk about sex with quite the same gravity individuals do- they have to or it wouldn't be a how topic. But even worse for parents, even presenting alternative examples to children and teens is hard to do on regular a basis. Can you imagine a parent regularly making light of a sexual relationship with a spouse to children on a regular basis? Most people don't have the tact I think. So the issue of the influence of media is compounded when considering the lack of opposition from the home. So those normative cues are easier to come by from media.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, we have already talked about the susceptibility of young people in comparison to adults in their ability to separate truth from fiction. Taking those normative cues from media without much push-back from home, young people more likely to try to emulate the acts they see on TV without understanding the gravity of the decisions they make. In addition, those kids with parents too afraid to approach the topic might have a hard time reconciling why their parents treat it as a taboo, undermining the parent's credibility on the subject. This may in turn push a young person to experiment with the things they see on TV, acting as a kind of "forbidden fruit" exercise. This may play to the part of the question of "anti-social" behaviors asked about above (and the violent social behaviors talked about in one of the article readings).
Not to mention that as I said above, I lied to my parents to look mature. Sex may be the most powerful way to show maturity and therefore those people who are High Self-Monitors (people who care about how other's view them) are more likely to fall prey to media's portrayals.
Thinking about that, we have to also remember it takes 2 to Tango. (Generally speaking). In maturity, those feelings that clog your brain as it's forming need outside reinforcement to develop properly. Peers play a large roll in this not just as a pressure but in committing sexual acts together. It is the role of the media to bridge cultural gaps for wider audiences rather than just transforming one person at a time. In this role as Mass-Communicator, TV creates languages (of love, if we want to be corny) that young people *will* use and try out on each other. That shared experience of popular shows are important to social development. Particularly with no prior personal experience (we hope).
But a few critiques of the studies here: How do these studies define sexual activity? How gratuitous is it (one of the readings did address this)? I ask because I know that TV also has limitations on what they can show and imply. But most importantly, the study cited in the question above tracked the top most popular shows. Are these shows being watched by the youth of the "understanding" study? Because prime-time shows are not aimed at children, nor are they necessarily being shared with by their parents. So it's important to make the connection to find correlation.
Talk about not "getting sexual references"... i remember a guy named Lee Grant in the sixth grade asking me if I was a virgin, and I told him, "No." He said, "yes you are." Again, I was adamant I was not a virgin. Later, I went home and asked my sister, "What's a virgin?" Apparently, I should have been watching more television.
DeleteIt is a little scary just how much sexual content is included in the media now. The harder part of it is the way sex is presented. I may completely flip from my views when it came to violence. Although I do feel that exposure to violent media at a young age can cause negative effects, I do not feel that TV alone kills. However I do feel like sexual behavior in media (especially the way it is portrayed) had much more negative effects.
ReplyDeleteOne example that comes to mind is “Gossip Girl”. All of those teens are not only well off financially, but they are also sexually active with multiple people. It shows this intimacy as very passionate and very care-free. What it doesn’t show is the risks (STDs, Pregnancy, Infections, emotional struggles). From here we see what is trending or popular, but that view is one-sided and I feel like most (not all) media portrays sex in that way.
Another problem is the expectations media give to sexual intimacy. You very rarely see a sweet married couple getting ready for bed and falling into each other’s arms, leading to something more. It’s always the young, single, attractive people who have all this heated up passion. Then we as viewers see that as reality. We want that too. It looks fun, exciting, and pleasurable, but it’s scripted.
Another factor is that when adolescents view media they want to be older and do what more mature people are doing. Therefore I feel like the cultivation theory kicks in. We see it in media and then mirror it in reality and the cycle starts again.
The show “Scandal” also comes to mind. We are constantly showing that infidelity is fun and exciting as well. The intense drama adds to this sexual build up. We don’t focus on the destroyed relationships or the people who are hurt, or the negative effects I mentioned above. When teens are seeing this they want to participate but with one-sided media, they are in for a rude awakening.
Getting even a little more scary is that the more sexual activity shown, the more exciting, and eventually viewers want more. How do you get more? This is where porn comes in. If media only gives a piece of the sexual intercourse, viewers will become less and less affected and search our for more. When exposure to sexual media starts out younger, it could definitely lead to more serious sexual media.
If we have the cognitive ability to see the media as it is, but also use our knowledge from other sources, parents, friends, school, religion etc. we should have a more realistic idea of sexual expectations. My parents were pretty clear before I entered high school. I also grew up with a pretty high set of values and standards for dating. I think if we are given a more realistic view and understanding of sex from more solid influences, then we are better prepared for the influence of the media when it comes to sex. Having that foundation and knowledge helps us to remember reality versus fantasy. Without the other influences media decides what is reality for the viewer. Pretty scary to think about.
I think the theory that best describes how TV and other media affect adolescent's sexuality and social development is social learning theory. In particular, that theory posits that a consumer of media might not immediately imitate the actions depicted in the media but might, instead, store those actions away for use later. This possible delay in imitation allows for mediating influences to have an effect. This is in contrast to the hypodermic needle theory that does not allow for mediating influences and assumes that the consumer of media simply accepts the depictions the media displays as is. This (the assumption that social learning theory is closer to being accurate than hypodermic needle theory) only holds true if there are mediating influences. I can think of one situation where mediating influences substantially do not exist- consumers who are not part of the culture that created the media.
ReplyDeleteI specifically look to my experience in foreign countries where consumers regularly watch American made TV and movies but have little direct exposure the American culture directly. This lack of direct exposure to American culture is what I am considering as a lack of mediating influence. (A counter example is the fact that no matter how often I see 24 I know that something like that does not happen often at all in every day life in America).
One example that stands out was when a Japanese friend asked me if I had ever been shot by a gun. This question seemed ridiculous in the extreme until I considered that this person watched numerous American TV shows and movies as well as Japanese news programs reporting on news-worthy stories from America. These programs showed an exaggerated number of gun related incidents compared with normal American life. Without the mediating influence of living in every day America, this person assumed that gun violence was so prevalent that the question of having been shot was reasonable.
I realize that I have strayed from the topic of sexuality and socialization in adolescence, but the principle is the same. An adolescent who lacks mediating influences (parents, religion, etc) will more readily accept the depiction on TV of sexuality and socialization than would someone with mediating influences.
In the end, the acceptance of depictions of sexuality and socialization in media depends more on how strong mediating influences are and the degree those influence contradict the media depictions. The fewer or weaker those influence, the more likely the hypodermic needle theory will be accurate. Conversely, the stronger and more contradictory those influences are, the more likely that social learning theory will be accurate.
Darren, I agree with the point you make that "an adolescent who lacks mediating influences (parents, religion, etc) will more readily accept the depiction on TV of sexuality and socialization than would someone with mediating influences." This could explain why LDS use are less promiscuous than there peers. For one, they may not be watching as much trash on television, but nobody can escape a filthy comment every now and then. I think parents and church play a huge role in helping adolescents stay away from sexual activity.
DeleteMedia does have an impact on adolescent sexuality. A theory I thought about with this discussion is Uncertainty Reduction Theory which suggests that individuals try to reduce as much uncertainty about others as they can. This can be through passive (watching), interactive (asking questions), or active (3rd party).
ReplyDeletePre-teens and teens who are first learning about dating and sexuality often have little personal experience. Of course they can learn some of this from their parents and other authority figures. However, when they want to know how it's really happening in their age group, they may turn to peers or media.
As we discussed earlier, media allows us to see relationships in ways we don't normally see when interacting in our neighbors and peers. It's much more personal. I expect that many teens rely on media as a way to learn how to interact with their peers. This is particularly worrisome when teen media has such large amounts of sexual content.
I think social comparative theory can also be applied. Social comparative theory states that we process the present by applying it to the past. What happens when someone has no past experience with a situation? When a pre-teen or teen has no prior experience with sexuality, they can only apply it to what they know from others or what they've seen in media. If media programs show high amounts of sexuality and low amounts of safe practices, teenagers could assume that safe practices aren't important.
I personally do not doubt that the media plays a huge role in the sexual development of youth and adolescents. When I was in elementary school, at probably 6 or 7 years old, I remember my peers already making sexual references and talking about things that I knew were not part of the television programming in my house. And this behavior was consistent throughout middle school and high school. I feel that some of my peers gloried in it, as it was a means of rebelling or having an advantage over those less familiar with the innuendos and content. But now from the perspective of an adult who has been well educated about media effects, I feel sorry for those individuals, realizing that they were probably exposed to misguided information or in the grips of addiction even at a very young age.
ReplyDeleteI feel that the lack of portrayed negative consequences or risk related precautions is probably the biggest influential factor among everyone in relations to the effects of mediated sexual content. The media has always been good at that. The media has always portrayed sex as just happening. This may be due to the expectant entertainment that casual sexual relationship would provide. But it is far from reality. Lack of consequences are prevalent in alcohol commercials, as indulgence and good times prevail over the consequences of alcoholism and drunk driving. Overall, the omission of consequences makes these destructive behaviors enticing.
Furthermore, we cannot forget how these effects take place from a cultivation theory perspective. Basing their study on cultivation, Riddle and Simone (2013) found that the viewing of surveillance reality TV programming (i.e. Jersey Shore, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, The Real World) was positively associated with the belief that women engage in more aggressive behavior than men do and the overestimation of the pervasiveness of marital discord and sexual promiscuity in real life relationships. The normative beliefs of adolescents are also greatly affected by the prevalence of sexual content. In a longitudinal study investigating the role of sexual development through romantically themed reality television, Vandenbosch & Eggermont (2011) found that exposure to the subgenre led to young men’s higher estimations of sexual activities among peers. In other words, the more they watched shows like the Bachelor, the more they thought their friends were sexually active.
Just like our discussion on the effects of violence, everyone is affected differently by mediated sexual content. Kingston et al. (2009) continually refers to the moderating effects of men being more at risk or prone to sexual aggression experience compared to males that are less at risk, with men more at risk more effected by such media. But just like the media violence studies, I feel that we are always affected great or small, and within the lines of cultivation theory, the more we are exposed, the more we come to believe that is the way things are and the way we should act. Sexual content is extremely dangerous because it feeds on a great human desire and function, misapplying a correct principle as Dr. Wakefield would say.
But there are positive monitoring effects. Kingston referred to the study by J.D. Brown et al. (2006) that found that one protective factor for youth against early sexual behaviors was parental communication. Indeed, there is nothing more helpful and guiding than the counsel of mom or dad. As L’engle (2006) might have called the media a “super peer” what teens really need are super parents who are willing to talk about this subject in a constructive manner with their children. Many of us may feel that our parents did not provide this information to the fullest extent to us, but it’s a communicative process for parent and child. In this last general conference, I loved the story that Elder Bradley Foster gave in his talk “It’s Never Too Early and It’s Never Too Late” about the young man whose father would talk to him candidly every year about a new subject and things that he should avoid. I had a stake president that encouraged parents to start talking to their children about pornography now at an early age in a way that they could understand. He mentioned that we can no longer toss the subject to the side, like in the past, in a world now filled with this plague. It all goes back to that narrow socialization we talked about at the beginning of the semester. The norms and standards provided by primary socialization are always a reference point as youth make decisions and sometimes a returning point for those that have wandered. But there is nothing more powerful than a super parent.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteI think the social learning theory (Bandura) most effectively explains the way sexual behaviors are learned from media. According to the social learning theory, we learn from watching, so as adolescents watch sexual encounters in the media, they learn what those are “supposed” to look like. I know this effect was present in my life and in the lives of my friends. Before I got married, my friends warned me that it was “nothing like I’d seen in the movies.” Why would they need to tell me that? Probably because all they knew about how sex/sexual behavior happened before they got married, they learned from the media. MOST adolescents (thank goodness) probably haven’t seen their parents or friends engaging in sexual behavior, but yet they have a picture in their mind of what it might be like? Whether we like to believe it or not, I think the picture we have in our minds of sexual encounters before we actually participate in them, come mainly from the media.
However, I strongly believe in mediation and moderation here, where certain personality factors, parenting, etc. may weaken or strengthen the effect of learning from sexual media. For instance, if an adolescent views a lot of sexual content in the media, but their parent is constantly talking to them about the content and helping them understand reality, they will be much less likely to learn and perform sexual behaviors as seen in media. If there is an adolescent who is free to watch whatever sexual content they want, and the parents aren’t aware or don’t really care what they’re seeing, the teenager may be more likely to learn from and perform sexual behaviors as seen in the media. In this sense, parental mediation acts as a moderator where the relationship between viewing sexual media and learning and performing sexual behaviors is strengthened or weakened depending on level of parental monitoring. I think if my parents had talked to me more often about sex and especially the portrayals of sex in media, I wouldn’t have been so quick to believe what I saw about sex in the media. Some other mediating factors could include family makeup (single or two parent family), siblings, peer and parent relationships, etc.
By the time I was a sophomore in high school, I personally knew at least two girls in my graduating class who were pregnant. We were fifteen. As a young girl, I remember catching clips of sitcoms my parents would watch together. Whenever any sexual innuendo would occur, they would often forget to edit until the moment had passed, but would then pause the show and send me upstairs--or subtly ask me to go check on my little sister. I always knew what the joke was insinuating, but would never admit so. I was ten years old.
ReplyDeleteToday, kids are becoming more exposed on an exponential scale. So much so, that they are using phrases, and terms that I didn’t fully understand until my later high school years. Generations are growing up younger because of it. And I wouldn’t say it’s a good thing. The social development of adolescents depends on their ability to interact with other individuals in a healthy manner. This does not mean establishing virtual parasocial relationships with the media. Such dependence on unrealistic characters and situations handicaps any possibilities of genuine interactions, and development of social behaviors. The subtle innuendos, playful attitudes, and sensual behaviors of individuals in the media all fulfill roles of influencing. These effects always trigger stimulating emotions, which adolescents cannot distinguish between reality.
Just as we’ve discussed before, media have a very powerful role in socialization with young adults. With regards to sexual socialization, I think media have a much more negative effect than with violence which we talked about a couple weeks ago. The difference between sexual media and violent/aggressive media is that sexual content not only appeals to us cognitively but also physiologically. We are humans and were created to replenish the earth and in turn we do have sexual needs. That is why pornography is so addictive and why sexual content has such an impact on young adults who are still developing.
ReplyDeleteWays the media influences adolescent sexually and social development directly would be how early and how more inclined adolescents are to becoming sexually active. The article “The mass media are an important context for adolescents’ sexual behavior”, focused on trying to measure exactly this in adolescents that consumed sexual content in their “media diets”. They explained that media are sources of information and sometimes more influential than parents, school, and church. One conclusion the authors provided at the end really struck me. They explained, “Adolescence is a developmental period that is characterized by intense information seeking, especially about adult roles, and given the lack of information about sexuality readily available to teens, adolescents may turn to the media for information about sexual norms.” If they are turning to media, what are they learning?
They are learning behavior and norms that are indirect effects of exposure to sexual content. From media today, they are learning that the sexualization of women is ok. The way movies are filmed and how cameras are used to focus and emphasize body parts indirectly teach children what “should” make women attractive. Not only are PG-13 movies and shows doing this, but everyday advertisements and even Disney movies are guilty of this. Another indirect effect is the concepts adolescents are learning about relationships and love. In many movies and tv shows, if a couple is in love, they should sleep together because it is the normal thing to do. Teenagers ages 14-17 are portrayed in media as those couples!...which is absolutely crazy to me! Adolescents also begin to create expectations of how sexual experiences should be like. These aren’t the only problems; society as a whole is becoming desensitized to sexually permeated media because of how much exposure there is to it and in turn, children and young adults are not learning about the consequences of early sexual activity and the consequences of making it a casual thing (teen pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, emotional costs, etc). The consequences are real and adolescents are not getting the entire picture from media.
Personally, I’m going to say that about 90% of my sex education came from sources other than my parents and church. I grew up in a very liberal school system, so I had formal sex education almost annually starting in 6th grade (beginning with STARS - Students Today Aren’t Ready for Sex, which, ironically, taught about how to have safe sex. Better than no sex ed, I guess.) and going through to senior year health class. This means that I was introduced to safe sex practices when I was 11 years old, and taught about more in-depth things regarding safe sex and the reproductive process when I was 14. I don’t think this was ridiculously early to begin the social learning process, but compared to my peers, this information was extremely premature and pretty useless to me until I got married when I was 22. Although admittedly, super helpful to most of my classmates and friends, many of whom were already sexually active when we were 14. My best friend had an abortion when we were in 8th grade. Sex was all around me growing up, and I’m not exactly grateful for that, but I think it helped me later in life, and I think it will help me when I am a parent. The media, combined with my peers, really desensitized me to sex from a very young age. I’ve said before in class that my parents never allowed me to watch Rugrats or Ferris Bueller’s Day Off because there are no consequences in those shows. However, they allowed me to watch Friends all the time, which has a ton of sex, so my exposure to these principles was pretty high.
ReplyDeleteIn contrast, I had a roommate for a few years who grew up in Springville and had kissed one boy ever (no offense to Springville, and no shame in that). But one afternoon, we were talking with one of our former roommates who had just gotten married, and we found out that our dear sweet Springville roommate did not know what sex was. Literally did not know how it happened. We were about 20-21 at the time, and she had never learned anything because her parents, community, and church shielded her from sex education.
In our two different experiences, I don’t know that the media would have made much of a difference. If she watched shows that showed sex, but had no peer-to-peer reinforcement of the things she learned/saw, I don’t think she would have cultivated a worldview that sex is popular or cool or prevalent. I think that in terms of social learning, a worldview must be reinforced in some way outside of the media in order to be accepted. For me, it was hecka-enforced, and so I had no problem accepting the worldview that I got from the media. But for my roommate, I think it would have been much more difficult to accept that that’s how the world works. That is just my opinion, and maybe I am totally wrong. But that’s what I think.
Haha! That is so funny and kind of sad about one of your old roommates. I definitely learned more about sex from my peers at school. I mean I had discussions with my parents, but it was still a kind of hushed thing that there's not much to discuss until you're about to get married. Actually not too long ago, I had a discussion with one of my roommates and she said that her parents, mostly her mom, was very open about sex and didn't keep it hushed. I guess it just depends how you are grown up in your home and the people you hang out with, and the amount of curiosity, maybe.
DeleteAccording to the social learning theory (a theory I use often in my own research), what individuals view in the media will be adopted into one’s behavior. As such, teens (or people of all ages, really) will engage more frequently and in similar ways in regards to behaviors they are exposed to in the media. Therefore, a teen who consumes media with heavy sexual content will not only more likely engage in sexual behaviors, but will also engage in the specific behaviors viewed in the media.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, the cultivation theory (which we have discussed in class before) states that media creates a specific reality, which, after viewed over time, is adopted by viewers; it is postulated that media consumers “adopt beliefs about the world that coincide with [the created reality].” Applied to teenage sexual media content exposure, it is likely that as teens view sexual media, they will come to accept and create assumptions and expectations based off of what they have viewed.
A theory that was new to me (presented in the readings) that may also be applied to teen sexual media use includes the priming theory, or the idea that the presentation of a stimulus (media) with a certain meaning activates and incorporates related concepts. Therefore according to the priming theory, media prepares individuals for sexual experiences they may or may not experience as they create schemas related to what they have viewed.
Taken together, the presented theories all have a common link: the media affects some aspect of an individual, which results in altered behavior. In addition to theoretical foundations, it is important to apply theory and make effects statements based on synthesis of ideas and past research. Particularly, it is likely that sexual media influences teen social and sexual development.
Research shows that sexual media often serves as the main source, if not the only source, of adolescent sexual education. If that is the case, then adolescents are learning what sex is, how it happens, etc., and then are acting in the ways they see on TV. Notably, media often shows the lead up to sex but not the actual event (intercourse). As such, sexual media may lead to misleading assumptions and expectations regarding sex. In addition, these expectations may lead to a less satisfied sex life, sexual aggression, or uncomfortable situations, at best. Further, the “lack of discussion and depiction of sexual planning and consequences, with few references to sexually transmitted disease, contraception, pregnancy prevention, and abortion” is problematic because teens are seeing only the positive side of sexual behavior, without the real life consequences or difficulties. Therefore, sexual media use may influence social and sexual development via adolescents’ expectation about sex.
As mentioned in the text, “characteristics of the media content, such as the genre, complexity of the messages, and attractiveness of the protagonists, as well as several features of the viewer, such as age, sex, cognitive capacities, and perceived realism” may potentially mediate the link between teen sexual media use and related sexual behaviors. I postulate that individual development is especially important on whether teens act in ways portrayed in media, as this will determine their executive functioning and logic maturation. Therefore, individual development may serve as a significant mediator between teen sexual media use and associated behaviors.
To note, the effects of media on a passive audience are large in magnitude, though the effects of media on a critical, aware audience are miniscule. When individuals are specifically aware of media’s agenda (whatever it may be), they can work to combat the messages they are being exposed to, thus not being as greatly affected by the media they use.
I'm actually currently doing a paper with my mentor, Sarah Coyne, on sex in video games and how that influences sexual behavior, so I have been looking at this a lot lately. In addition to the other information provided in the premise, the Kaiser Family Foundation study also found that 8-18 year-olds devote an average of approximately 8 hours a day to entertainment media and that average increases to approximately 11 hours if “media multitasking” is taken into account. It's amazing how much of this content is sexual in nature. Humor me and let me be an absolute nerd and spout off a bunch of random facts from other studies I have read on this topic just because I find it interesting. One found that 11% of teen targeted television shows, movies, music, Internet sites, magazines and newspapers contained sexual content (i.e., portrayals or references to pubertal development, romantic relationships, nudity, sexual innuendo, touching and kissing, and sexual intercourse; Pardun, L’Engle & Brown, 2005), with movies containing the most depictions of sexual intercourse (Eyal, 2007). Further, 656 instances of sexual content including implied intercourse, intercourse, intimate touching, passionate kissing, and sexual disrobing were found in 90 teen-centered movies, and 586 of those instances involved teen characters, with passionate kissing being the most common, followed by intimate touching and implied intercourse (Callister, Stern & Coyne, 2011). One study found that 83% of teen television shows contain sexual content, and though actual depictions of intercourse in these television shows are rare, precursory sexual behaviors (physical flirting, passionate kissing, intimate touching) and implied sexual intercourse are common (Kunkel et. al, 2003). I could go on and on. But I'll stop my blah blahing.
ReplyDeleteIn sum, sex is common in media. According to Social Learning Theory, people learn through observing and imitating the behaviors of others and as such, media offers a variety of observable behaviors for individuals to observe and imitate. Not surprising, then, is the empirical link between sexualized content in media and sexual attitudes and behaviors. Collins (2004) found that in his sample of 1800 12-17 year olds, those who had a higher sexual media diet were more likely to engage in intercourse at a younger age. In fact, having a higher sexual media diet DOUBLED the risk of initiating sexual intercourse one year later and similar results have been found in at least one other adolescent sample (Brown, 2006). Similarly, those who have a higher sexual media diet are more likely to accept the norms of the hookup culture, overestimate their peers' sexual activity, and participate in higher levels of sexual risk taking (Peters, 2013). We are currently doing a meta analysis looking at all the literature that links sexual media to sexual attitudes and behaviors. We are going to be running the results soon. I would be surprised if we didn't find any links there. One mediating factor that has been explored is "perceived peer norms". If one watches something on TV and then believes that his/her peers are all doing it, then they are more likely to think that having sex with whomever is the norm. I also think that something that moderates the relationship is media literacy. If kids are more active in their media intake, then they are going to be less influenced by the media to engage in risky sex.
One last thought, we talked the first time we had class about how media is a socializing agent and how teens have the power to seek out their own socializing agents. If kids aren't being taught about sex at home or taught about it adequately in schools then of course they are going to seek out media to learn more. Sometimes kids just don't know enough to know that media can often be a tainted way to get information, especially since sexual risks and responsibility messages are rarely discussed in regular media.
Clarification: When I said, "If kids are more active in their media intake, then they are going to be less influenced by the media to engage in risky sex" I meant active as in active viewers. So they aren't passive. They are actively thinking about the messages they are hearing.
DeleteThe human story is centered around intimacy, both physical and emotional. Without the ability to make these types of bonds, humans would cease to be human, and possibly cease to function as a society. This worries me a bit about how sex is portrayed in the media more and more - and what is most salient to viewers (particularly young, teenage minds). I also know from my own experience that sex was not spoken of openly in my home, and thus a lot of education came from being exposed to something on media and making assumptions about what I had seen. However, as far as antisocial behavior goes - I often would not ask my parents or others about what I saw innocently in the media because I felt that I should either know about it (if I was with my friends)or it would be awkwardly dealt with (in my parent’s case). I can see a few theories at work here, particularly in conjunction with the conclusions cited by L’Engle, Brown and Kenneavy that teens exposed to sexual content with positive support for what they had seen in the media were more prone to engage in these behaviors.
ReplyDeleteSocial learning theory - As teens develop, they have questions. And though sexual information may originally come from parents (Ward), media fills in the gaps. Media may also serve to justify certain behaviors, or confirm what someone has heard from a peer. And moreso, media may serve as a role model for these youth -- many parents aren’t the epitome of “Attractive” that a young person might want to aim for -- so media is invited to bring some more ideas more conducive to what the young person deems as “attractive”.
Cultivation/ normative beliefs - Kingston et al. mention how media has increasingly been filled with sexual content over the past 2 decades. Children exposed to media over long periods of time will perhaps believe that sexual activity that is portrayed on TV is “normal,” regardless of the actual reality of the source.
INDIRECT influences
Theory of Presumed Influence - the “everyone is doing it” principle. Though the media itself may not be directly affecting a particular teen, the idea that the media might affect his or her peers may lead to adopting certain behaviors. This ties in with social proof as well.
Social Proof - Building off of presumed influence and social learning theory - if a teen expects others will engage in a behavior, or witnesses “similar” others on TV engaging in a behavior, it is assumed that the behavior is acceptable and desirable if it makes you more popular or somehow more socially powerful.
Reactance Theory - because watching this media or performing these sexual acts may be “forbidden” and teens want to enact their freedom more, and thus engage in the behavior.
I can’t help but mention my niece who is just barely 16 and has been dating seriously for a few years now. I don’t believe these ideas of dating young and dating exclusively were planted in her head from her parents, though they do seem to be rather nonchalant about talking to their children about sex and make everything a big joke. However, her involvement in media and social media leave me to believe that she acts how she does because she assumes everyone is doing it. Her self-esteem has always been somewhat low and I can see where media would direct her to looking for rewards and satisfaction through relationships with others because it has been hard for her to find that in herself.
I also must say that I fear for the future of the teens with “great” role models like Justin Bieber - who does really dumb things, but still seems to be able to get lots of money and fame for what he does. Popularity fame, no matter how they were gained, often denote success or desirability. Humans want and NEED to be wanted. And this teaches teens about an easy way to do so.
Mediating influences = parents, the person themselves, peers, the KIND of media and rate and which exposed to media, the attention and precedence that media is given over other types of knowledge.
DeleteI think the media is extremely influential towards adolescents sexually and through social development. It is amazing to me to see the studies and the data taken that show how much sexual content is in so much television shows. I guess I have been a bit desensitized towards some of it and hadn’t realized the high amount from the percentages in the articles we read. Just like that, media has already influenced me. I’ve sort of bypassed some of the sexual behavior on screen and sort of shrug it off and continue on my way in life or just even in an episode or film.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite movies is Kate and Leopold. I love it so much that I wanted to share it and watch it with my grandma. As we watched it, my grandma kept on gasping and making remarks of how the characters shouldn’t use that kind of language when they speak. Honestly, I didn’t realize how there was a bit of swearing in that film until my grandma pointed it out every time they cursed. Even though that doesn’t have much to do with sexual behaviors, I just wanted to point out that I was even desensitized with bad language as well as with some sexual behaviors scenes on TV.
The media glamorizes sexual behavior with no consequences. In L’Engle’s article, she says that “the majority of sexual content in the media depicts risk-free, recreational sexual behavior between nonmarried people.” There’s hardly anything that shows negative consequences unless if the person being cheated on finds out. And maybe eventually, but it isn’t until later. I’ve noticed in shows that if they do find out, it causes drama for sure, but it turns out not being a super big deal. The people move on. The media doesn’t depict the hurt and sorrow and the sadness it brings to individuals.
I also feel that a factor towards mediating influences is social peers. Media can be easily used as a social peer. Individuals who may be more antisocial connect better to characters in media, especially in TV shows. They could even form a parasocial relationship too. These individuals can look to their favorite characters to learn and discover sex through that character’s life. I think media can also be a catalyst alongside social peers. I remember in high school, I didn’t listen to the same popular music as some of my friends. I sometimes felt left out of conversations because I didn’t know the lyrics and I didn’t have anything to contribute to the conversation. I tried listening to the rap and hip hop music, but I had the hardest time trying to enjoy it. The same goes for movies and TV shows, and I think it is more relevant today especially now that there are so many films and shows that are accessible thanks to Netflix.
The statistics from this reading may not be far from the assertion that media plays an important role as a source of sexual socialization for teenagers. Though I grew up in a morally saturated culture and prosocial beliefs that reinforces traditional sexual values, the advent of television and media technology vis-a-vis the increase in exposure to media in all forms is impacting, if not challenging those values.
ReplyDeleteThe inability of those cultural beliefs to adequately provide answers to the nagging questions on youth sexual socialization evidently explained the rationale for adolescents to rely on media as a source of sexual socialization and yours truly was not an exception. I can personally relate with the submission in the reading that states…”media may serve as a kind of sexual ‘super peer’ for adolescents seeking information about sexuality because sexual content in the media is ubiquitous and easily accessible”
At age 20, my first girlfriend who was 2 years younger than I, came into the relationship with loads of experience from sexually explicit dramas, romantic shows and x-rated movies. Not wanting to be socially isolated, I joined the fray of peers seeking sexual information from mass media. True to type, majority of the sexual content then, as with now depicts risk free, recreational sexual behavior devoid of negative consequences. And with a self-indulgent tendencies of accepting this depiction of sexuality in the media, I sure had to grapple with some consequences in reality.
I am inclined to suggest that Social learning theory becomes apt in this case as teens are often oblivious of the indirect consequences of feeding their minds with a consistent media diet that only bolter their interest and stimulate increased sexual experiment. As against the direct effects like unwanted pregnancies and STDS, a keen observation of our society today, tilts towards an indirect effects of growing rate of disregard for traditional marriage, promiscuity and infidelity. Increasing depletion of the productive sector of the economy due to health complications from HIV/AIDS and other life threatening STDS.
There are other types of environmental influences on adolescent sexuality, but I think the mass media today, wields the highest influence on teens.
I think that children and adolescents are receiving their Sexual Socialization primarily from the media. Because sex is such a difficult concept for parents to talk to their teenage children about there is not a lot of competitive sources to provide a more balanced realistic view about sex. The cultivation of those beliefs about sex as they are perceived in the media definitely has a lot impact on their sexual behaviors because of the limited amount of sexual socializing factors.
ReplyDeleteI think students should be taught more about sex during their puberty. They should also be taught about how the media impacts their opinions and ideas bout sex. It should also discuss emotions and how to develop healthy relationships. Equipped with proper and more realistic beliefs about sex, each individual can choose when to have sex but at least they know the consequences and the dangers associated with it if done "improperly".
I don’t mean to be “that Mormon” who views everything through the prism of my religious beliefs, but there is a good reason we are asked to avoid sexuality and other explicit content when interacting with media. Our brains are constantly processing various bits and pieces of information and creating schemas as a result of the process (think schema theory from Wakefield’s class). I remember personally feeling the influence of Katy Perry’s songs when I felt that maybe our religion is too uptight about certain things and that love can exist outside of marriage. Luckily, I was a fully cognitively developed adult, completely converted to the Gospel, but if an adolescent experienced this influence I am sure the consequences would be different.
ReplyDeleteMedia is a moneymaking business, and all they care about is profit. Sex is a strong driver for humans and it obviously sells, so it is used as an attractor of attention. Media definitely plays a huge role in how adolescents view sexuality. Being the “super peer” it teaches kids the things their parents are intimidated to talk about in details that will make a mature adult blush. Not only that, but teenagers do not feel judged by the media and they often find comfort in the fact that their personal beliefs about sexuality are supported by it. Also, because adolescents are so emotionally driven and media usually romanticizes sex outside of marriage, there is a good chance that in a teenager’s mind the ideas of sex and romantic love become related, while sex and marriage do not.