As you all know, adolescence is the time of recognizing one’s social identity as well as the time of bodily changes. These can be very difficult tasks to manage as an adolescent and according to Keren Eyal et al., television may help teenagers manage these tasks. For example, many adolescents have found television to be a useful tool in learning about different birth control methods, sexual normalcy, and ways to talk to their significant other and/or parents about sex and birth control. For example, Keren Eyal et. al. talk about an episode of Friends where one character became pregnant because of a condom failure. It was said that this episode resulted in “significant increases in knowledge about condoms for 17%…of 12-17 year-olds who saw the episode.“ Also, 10% of teenagers who saw the show reported talking to their parents about condoms and their efficiency. The socialization of sex on television has had a positive effect on adolescents by increasing their knowledge.
Contrarily, the portrayal of sex on TV media has also had a negative effect. Showing sexual activities on television has been known to change the way teenagers think about sex; transforming it from intimate and personal, to recreational and casual (Sex on Teen TV). A lot of exposure to television shows that talk about and show sexual activities accelerates the involvement of sexual intercourse in teenagers (Collins et al., 2004). This was proven by a study done on 12-17 year-olds across the nation. Inevitably this early sexual activity has lead to more teenage pregnancies and more adolescents being diagnosed with STDs. It is said that one third of women, before the age of twenty, become pregnant at least once (National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 2004).
The topic of sexual socialization on TV has been seen as a double-edged sword. I believe that this could be changed into an almost entirely positive thing through a couple of ways. First, parents should explain sex to their children as something that is not meant for casual recreation. Second, I think it is important for parents to control what their child watches but still allow some shows that talk about sex in a positive way and help teach adolescents how to deal with the sexual feelings they are experiencing. There are a lot of television dramas on teen networks that talk about sex in an educational way but still entertain adolescents and appeals to their sexual interests. As you can see, while the negative effects of sex on TV are greatly dramatized, there are also positive effects that help teens grow and learn in the stage of puberty.
Sarah Heck
Comm 240 Blog Assignment
Eyal, K., Kunkel, D., Biely, E. N., & Finnerty, K. L. (2007). Sexual socialization messages on television programs
most popular among teens. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 51(2), 316-336.
