Media Effects Sex

Media Effects Sex
Elisabeth Eaton
Human Development
Warner Pacific
February 22, 2013

Media Effects Sex

It is no surprise that sex is prevalent in today’s society. Sex is used in advertisements, television shows, movies, magazines, internet, music, and books. It is everywhere. At the bookstore, the racy book series Fifty Shades is in four different sections: health, romance, literature, and fantasy. S. Liliana Escobar-Chaves of the university 's Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research states "Although a great deal is known about the effects of mass media on other adolescent behaviors, such as eating, smoking and drinking, we know basically nothing about the effects of mass media on adolescent sexual behaviors" (Brody, 2006) In a society where shock value is desperately sought after, how far will the media push the sexual envelope?
There are nineteen known sexual disorders according the DSM-IV. Some of these disorders are more common than others, especially in adolescents. Causes of these disorders may stem from emotional or physical distress. There are many factors involved when diagnosing a sexual disorder. Emotional distress may stem from interpersonal relations, marital problems, or a general lack of trust. Psychological causes include anxiety, depression, fear, or past trauma. There may be another factor to consider however, mass media plays a role in today’s sexual deviance. American teenagers have no problem gaining access to graphic pictures, programs, music, or any other source of questionable media. On average 7 hours a day are spent engaging in some type of media related activity. (Pediatrics , 2010)While viewing television during prime time hours there are 143 incidents of sexual behavior, more so than not the encounters are between unmarried partners. 80 percent of movies have sexual content and every R rated movie since the 80’s has had at least one nude scene. Recently, even PG rated Disney movies are starting to include sexual innuendos. 60 percent of musical lyrics include sexual feelings or impulses. Teen magazines that are targeted toward adolescent girls devote at least 2.5 pages to sexual issues and health. The internet is an open source of sexual content in all forms that cannot be regulated and social networking sites allow young teens to present themselves in sexual fashions. Ideas behind the effects of mass media on teens are based on: content analysis, correlation studies, and ethnicity examination. (Grube, 2010) (Pediatrics , 2010)
For content analysis, television is the most studied influence in mass media. In the average American home, children from ages 8 to 18 years have televisions in their rooms and have at least three hours of unsupervised access to a television. A study done by the Kaiser Family Foundation reported that “…83 percent of programs popular with teens had sexual content, and 20 percent contained explicit or implicit intercourse.” (Brody, 2006) Another study done which was conducted by phone showed that children who watched television programs with sexual explicit scenes acted approximately 9 to 17 months older in sexual nature than their physical age. Adolescents who have been exposed to sexual content within the media in any fashion have more relaxed views on premarital sex, contraception, and engage in sexual behaviors at a much younger age. (Brody, 2006) One of the most recent studies show that there is a direct link between listening to music with degrading sexual lyrics and an early onset of sexual behaviors and that teens who have their television viewing supervised or limited are less sexually experienced. Unlimited access to sexy media can nearly double the chances of early sex. (Pediatrics, 2010)
Correlation studies show that young girls chose and spend more time watching sexually explicit content over young boys. As children move through puberty however, teenage boys chose and watch more hardcore sexually explicit content than female teenagers. Through age correlation studies, it is believed that high exposure to sexual content can effect at any age. However, it is especially detrimental during adolescence. During puberty, cognitive reasoning is not fully developed, making it difficult to decipher media messages while children are developing their thoughts and identifying gender roles, sexual attitudes and beliefs. (Grube, 2010) ] Adolescents confess that they acquire more information about sex, drugs, STI’s, contraception, and how to behave in sexual encounters from mass media than any other source. Sex is more often portrayed in a positive light without discussion of all the risks involved. (Grube, 2010) America seems to subscribe to the idea that if forms of contraception are advertised then we are advocating in early sex. In several recent peer-reviewed studies, there was no correlation between giving access of free condoms to teens and a rise in sexual activity. In a recent study conducted by The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, they found that 1 in 4 teens have contracted an STI. (Pediatrics , 2010)
If mass media is going to display sexual content at every opportunity, then advertisements need to be done about contraception and STI’s as well. Media shoves sex down the throats of teens without giving them a proper understanding of how sex really works. Advertising about safe sex practices could significantly reduce the amount of STI’s diagnosed within teens as well as unplanned pregnancies and abortions. There have been few cases of television shows airing an episode based on a sexual consequence, the episodes reveled good results, but are not aired or addressed nearly as frequent as promiscuous sex yielding no consequences.
Disease and pregnancy are not the only negative effects sex in the media has on teens. There are psychological effects as well. One psychological effect is arousal, through a study done on arousal from sex in the media it is evident that men become more sexually aroused than women, but what was alarming is that men are becoming more sexual aroused by violent or dehumanizing sex acts, this could leading to a culture that is becoming desensitized. A large amount of research shows that sexual explicit images changes ones sexual attitudes towards others. Men who were shown dozen of pictures of nude physically attractive women then scored their own spouses on a lower scale. Some men even reported loving their spouses less. These results are not limited to men, but are typical for women who view sexual explicit material as well. (Harris, 2009) Correlation between sexual arousal to sexually violent scenes and rape or other sex crimes have been inconclusive. Since the 60s there has been a rise in sexual material readily available as well as a rise in rapes being reported, but there is not enough evidence that the two are related. (Harris, 2009)
Although there is no thorough research on the correlation between sexualized media and sexual disorders, it is my belief that media does have an effect on the sexual outcomes for teens. Sex is glorified on television, and teens are becoming sexual active at a younger age. They are becoming desensitized to what is sexually appropriate and are seeking more risky behaviors. Shows on TLC such as Strange Sex and My Strange Addiction go into the personal lives of people with sexual disorders and places a glorification on these lifestyles. In movies a simple sex scene no longer excites its viewers. The sex scenes are more intense and push the envelope into what could be considered deviant. Teens then begin to feel the pressures to perform these sex acts in their own relationships.
In the coming years I do believe we will be seeing more and more people engaging in sexual deviant behavior, whether it be promiscuity or engaging in fetishism or sadomasochist acts. The media cannot be controlled. Sex sells, a fact that cannot be disputed. The only solution is to teach young children and teens the responsibilities of sex through a source that is reputable, such as a school system or parent. I think that teens should be exposed to the different types of sexual activity that is in the world, but in a glorified way. Proper education is our only defense against media.

References

Brody, J. (2006, January). Children, media and sex: A big book of blank pages . Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/31/health/31brod.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 Grube, J. W. (2010). Retrieved from Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science website:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1070813/ Harris, R. (2009). Effects of sex in the media . (Master 's thesis, Kansas State University),
Available from Erlbaum/Psychology Press .
Pediatrics (2010, August 30). Policy statement--sexuality, contraception, and the media. Retrieved from http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2010/08/30/peds.2010-1544

References: Brody, J. (2006, January). Children, media and sex: A big book of blank pages . Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/31/health/31brod.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 Grube, J. W. (2010). Retrieved from Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Science website:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1070813/ Harris, R. (2009). Effects of sex in the media . (Master 's thesis, Kansas State University), Available from Erlbaum/Psychology Press . Pediatrics (2010, August 30). Policy statement--sexuality, contraception, and the media. Retrieved from http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2010/08/30/peds.2010-1544