Teens, Television & Sex - What's the Connection?

Over the last several years, much has been written about the connection between pop culture and the behaviors of children, particularly teens. Whether it is violent video games, explicit song lyrics or sexually provocative scenes during prime-time television, there certainly does seem to be plenty of material out there to whet a teen's curiosity. And given the extent to which the media has been saturated with this type of material, it is easy to see how a teen can adopt such a casual attitude regarding these serious matters.

Even so, there are some who say that with proper and consistent parental guidance, teens should be able to weather this storm and not succumb to the temptations placed before them. Unfortunately, there are some new studies that indicate that perhaps this isn't as easy as it looks. The results of two recent independent studies that looked at the relationship between sexually-themed television programming and teenage sexual activity showed a strong link between teenage television viewing habits and their sexual activity.

Studying the Link

The studies, which were conducted by the RAND Corporation, a California-based non profit research and policy and decision-making institution, and the University of North Carolina, were based on surveys of white and black teens between the ages of 12 and 17. The teens were asked questions regarding their television viewing preferences and habits, their own sexual activity, their relationships with parents and peers, and outside interests such as extra-curricular or community involvement.

The results are somewhat surprising. While the complete study results can be found in Pediatrics - The Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the most significant finding will be discussed here.

This finding revealed that for white teens, those who frequently viewed television programming that refers to or actually depicts sexual behavior are twice as likely to engage in sexual activity than their peers who did not report viewing such programming. In the case of black teens, however, the study results indicate that the decision to engage in sexual activity seems to be based more on two factors: parental expectations and the behaviors of their peers. In commenting on the study results, Dr. Jane Brown, one of the researchers involved in the University of North Carolina study, said "Some, especially those who have fewer alternative sources of sexual norms, such as parents or friends, may use the media as a kind of sexual super peer that encourages them to be sexually active... Teens are defaulting to entertainment media for sexual information because they aren't getting this information in other places. Unfortunately, the media aren't the best sex educators. The media tend to leave out the crucial three C's: commitment, contraception and consequences."

What Can Be Done?

It is clear from these results that parents need to take a more proactive role in monitoring what their children watch on television. Given the fact that some experts estimate that two-thirds of today's television programming contains material that includes either sexual references or are explicitly sexually graphic, this is by no means an easy task. Even so, it is important for parents to be aware of what their children watch on television and if necessary, forbid them from viewing certain programs. And fortunately, there are other things parents can do to reinforce the message that teenage sexual activity is not something to be condoned.

The first step parents should take is to have a frank and open discussion with their teens about sex. While this is often uncomfortable, it is important to realize that in the absence of parental education, teens will turn to television and other less reliable sources for the information they need. Recall Dr. Brown's earlier quote in which she points out that televisionís portrayal of sexual activity usually does not include three critical elements: commitment, contraception and consequences. Of these, "consequences" is probably the most important. Taking the time to ensure teens fully understand the consequences of their actions (an unwanted pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and the emotional changes that often come as the result of engaging in sexual activity) can often be all that is needed to deter them from becoming sexually active.

The second step parents should take is to become more involved in their teen's life. This doesn't necessarily mean that parents need to know every detail, but having a good idea of who their teensí friends are, and where and how they spend their time can be a good indicator of a teen's propensity for engaging in sexual activity. As in all types of undesirable behavior (i.e. drug use, criminal mischief, gang activity) teens who are bored and not engaged in some sort of school or community related activity tend to be more prone to experimentation than their peers who are an active part of some type of organization.

It's not easy being a teen in today's society. And, it's equally as difficult to be a parent. However, when parents take their responsibility seriously, they can be the greatest asset a teen will have to help them navigate the confusing and often tempting world in which they live.

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