The Effects of Sexuality in the Mass Media

The Effects of Sexuality in the Mass Media
Sociology 100
2/1/2012

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. Media is a pervasive and ever present entity in the lives of North Americans. It is a strong influence for constructing meaning in our everyday lives. Social Comparison Theory posits that “people will at some point in their lives compare themselves and significant others to people and images whom they perceive to represent realistic goals to attain” (Botta, 1999) Television is a tool: whether it is good or bad for children depends on what they watch and how they watch it. Used carefully for children over the age of two years, television need not have untoward effects at all, and according to recent studies can even exert a positive influence. It is not being used carefully. Parents are clueless about the content and consequences of the media-saturated world their children inhabit. Society looks to the media to help us define, explain, and shape the world around us. Without always knowing it, we make automatic comparisons of ourselves, those close to us, and situations in our lives after seeing images in the media. And as a result, after these comparisons we are motivated to strive for, and achieve, new found goals and expectations. Because adolescents haven’t reached the cognitive level to critically analyze and determine reasonable levels of realistic goals, they are more vulnerable to media images (Hargreaves & Tiggemann, 2003). They are also more likely to take at face value all images and scenarios portrayed in the media. Because they tend to see most everything as realistic and attainable, adolescent girls are more likely to emulate the images portrayed in the media. They will attempt to model themselves, both physically and through their actions, after the images viewed. They look to the media to define how they should look, act, and feel. Pop culture, more than current events, is what adolescent females look to in the media to help them define their role in the world around them (Durham, 1999). Adolescents look to television, magazines, and movies to help them find and define their station and place in society.
Despite the advent of V-chips, movie ratings and televised warnings of appropriateness for young people, American teenagers have no trouble getting access to graphic sexual presentations. And no one restricts what they hear in popular songs. The effect of abstinence-only education pales by comparison with the many graphic messages that portray sexual activity — especially unprotected sex outside of marriage — to be a part of our culture as normal and acceptable as eating a Big Mac or drinking a Coke. In the past two decades, sexual content on television and in the movies has become more pervasive and explicit. Being sexy and engaging in sexual intercourse is depicted as a normal part of a popular, exciting, and glamorous female’s life. Very seldom are consequences of sexual engagement addressed; most sexual encounters, unless relevant to the immediate story line, have no lasting effects. And when consequences are included, they are generally limited to physical, rather than emotional or social consequences (Kunkel, Cope & Biely, 1999). Concerns and preventions of sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy have only recently started to become addressed. Girls are taught that seductive poses, pouts, and stances are acceptable and necessary ways to be successful and attain fulfillment. However, teen magazines present a conflicting message. Magazines provide young girls with instructions on how to attract and please men teach girls the power and persuasiveness of their sexuality, yet at the same time, warn them that they are not to give into, or even acknowledge, their sexual desire. Their sexuality is to be used as a manipulative tool, not as a means for social interaction or personal pleasure. Through the use of provocative, yet innocently child-like, images, poses and dress, girls are taught to use their sexuality for gain but to resist all urges to follow through with sexual interactions. In her study, (Durham, 1998) found many direct and indirect messages promoting adolescent girls to develop, maintain, and use their sexuality. Words such as “hot”, “sexy”, and “kissable” were displayed prominently on the cover. Articles on exercise promoted the achievement of sexy and touchable bodies, rather than health and fitness. Fashion and beauty articles also focused on pleasing males, and then ways of using that approval to their advantage. Images of females in teen magazines portray girls as sexy, yet reserved; passionately desirous, yet coy. The sexual images presented to adolescent females in teen magazines were acute, while at the same time mixed and conflicting.
"There is growing concern that youth are accessing media in environments isolated from the supervision or guidance of parents or other adults," the report says. "The average American youth spends one-third of each day with various forms of mass media, mostly without parental oversight."(Brody, 2006) Research shows that the media can have a strong effect on how adolescent females view and interpret the world around them. Girls are looking to find their place in society and they use the media as a means to help define and explain their roles. Not all messages are positive, appropriate, or advantageous for adolescent girls. Many of the messages presented give adolescent females the impression that they naturally are expected to take a subservient and submissive role to men. The message is often given that women are not meant to be taken seriously. And their outer image and stature is more important than their character and inner strength. Today’s parents should recognize and acknowledge that the media represent a powerful teacher of children and adolescents. The media cut across virtually every concern that parents and pediatricians have about young people: sex, violence, homicide, suicide, obesity, eating disorders, school problems, and drug use. Permitted to view a weekly average of 30 hours of television largely absent adult consideration of the developmental fitness of the programming, it should not seem remarkable that today’s children and adolescents are more overweight, inattentive, violent and sexual than any previous generation. Parents and teachers need to take an active role in helping adolescents understand and interpret the messages portrayed in the media. They need to engage in active, critical viewing to mediate the negative effects of media. Open dialogue can help adolescents gain a better grasp of realistic and attainable goals. As well, girls are more likely to make positive choices if they are informed about the dangers associated with attempting to attain unrealistic body images. If adolescents do not perceive thin ideals on television as realistic, and they have outside information telling them they do not need to live up to those ideals, they will be less vulnerable to negative effects on body and self image. Open communication and realistic expectations will assist adolescent girls from falling prey to negative media influences.

Botta, R. A. (1999). Television images and adolescent girls’ body image disturbance. Journal of Communication
Brody, J. E. (2006) Children, Media and Sex: A Big Book of Blank Pages NY Times

Durham, M. G. (1999). Girls, media and the negotiation of sexuality: A study of race, class, and gender in adolescent peer groups. Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly
Durham, M. G. (1998). Dilemmas of desire: Representations of adolescent sexuality in two teen-magazines. Youth & Society
Hargreaves, D., & Tiggemann, M. (2003). The effect of “thin ideal” television commercials on body dissatisfaction and schema activation during early adolescence. Journal of Youth and Adolescence
Kunkel, D., Cope, K. M., & Biely, E. (1999). Sexual messages on television: Comparing findings from three studies. Journal of Sex Research