I feel that sex is something that should not be a casual rendezvous, but this seems to have changed in the last few decades. Now, more than ever, kids need to be taught about safe sex and not just abstinence because there is a new enemy to worry about. Kids will be introduced to sexual content from television, and if television gets to them before parents and teachers they won’t know what proper safety measures should be taken. In 2003 64% of shows contained sexual content and only 15% mentioned waiting, protection, and consequences. Another study also showed that 23% of couples in scenes containing intercourse appeared to be between the ages of 18 and 24, not to mention the 14,000 sexual references adolescents will hear per year. Soap operas refer to premarital sex 2 to 3 times an hour. More than 3 out of 4 Americans say that television encourages irresponsible sexual behavior. In 2003 64% of shows contained sexual content and only 15% mentioned waiting, protection, and consequences. Perhaps one of the scariest findings is that teen 13-15 rank entertainment media as the top source of information pertaining to sex.
A study done in 2004 says that watching sex on television can predict adolescent initiation of sexual behavior. A group out of California did a national telephone survey in 2001 and then a follow up in 2002. They wanted to measure T.V. viewing habits, sexual knowledge, attitudes, behavior, and a large set of demographic and psychosocial variables shown to predict sexual behavior or T.V. viewing habits in previous research. Substantial associations were found between amount of sexual content viewed by adolescents and advances in their sexual behavior during subsequent year.
I agree with the fact that children should be educated on safe sex. They are exposed to so much of it on the TV and in movies. Even in many magazines, premarital sex is portrayed to be acceptable and the cool thing to do. So, I think that the children are much better off to be educated on safe sex than just to be told not to do it. When you tell an adolescent not to do something, that just gives them want to try it.
ReplyDeleteIt is true. If you tell a teenager not to have sex, that abstinence is the way to go; it’s just going to give them more of a reason to do it. If they are educated they are more likely to practice safe sex.
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