How Does the Media Sell Sex and How Does It Influence Teenagers Today?

Literature Review

How does the media sell sex and how does it influence teenagers today?

During my research of journal articles, all of these were related to teen sex and the medias influence. These past two eras there has been further research conducted on how the media influences adolescents in engaging in teen sex. The media as a whole has been scientifically supported through a range of theories and surveys to be linked to the sexual attitudes and behaviours of adolescents. There are many reasons to why adolescents become sexually active young. The important factors include socioeconomic status, peer pressure and the exposure to sexual content in the media^[1]. The media a whole has made it easy to access sexual content. Although, sexual content in the media affects all age groups, adolescents are more vulnerable. Adolescents exposed to explicit content during puberty when sexual attitudes are forming are at risk. This group, due to their awareness ability that help them to process information from the media and make decisions based on future results are not completely developed. Worldwide, teenagers spend from six to seven hours each day on average on some form of media.  The capability of media marketing to affect adolescents today has progressed through different ways. The media has been able to manipulate our perception of reality to fantasy. The media has taken an adverse effect on adolescents lives^[2].

A range of tests were published in 1983-2004, a study of American adolescents from the ages of 11 – 19. Approximately 47% of high school students have had sexual intercourse. Of these 7.4% report having sex before the age of 13 and 14 have had more than 4 sexual partners^[3]. On television each year teenagers view nearly 14,000 sexual references, innuendoes, and behaviours, few of which (less than 170) involve the use of birth control, self-control, abstinence, or responsibility^[4]. Content analyses suggest that media audiences are most likely to learn that sex is consequence-free, rarely planned, and more a matter of lust than love^[5]. These sexual messages on screen are shown positively, without identifying the potential risks of unprotected sex and the consequences^[6].

Sex on television is more than just sexual intercourse or sexual intimacy. Studies indicate that shows watched by adolescents in 2001 – 2002 had high amounts of sexual content, and 20% contained explicit content ^[7]. Sexual content appears in 64% of all TV programs; those programs with sexual content average 4.4 scenes with sexually related material per hour. 14% of programs include sexual intercourse illustrated. This frequent exposure to depicted sex could have an impact on an adolescents’ attitudes and societies norms. A study of Media cultivation suggests, shows also show an image that sex is a main factor in life and could encourage sexual initiation. Sexually active adolescents choose to watch sexual content more than their non sexually active peers^[8].