Sex in the Media
Once upon a time in the "Golden Age" of television, things such as profanity, questionable morals, and inappropriate behavior was kept off the airwaves. Today's television however, is vastly different. The shows are obsessed with sex. Although perhaps not obvious to the adult viewer, it is harmful to the children and adolescents who are also viewing these types of programs. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, an independent foundation focusing on major health care issues facing the nation, "the percentage of programmes with some sexual content rose from 43 percent in 1976 to 75 percent in 1996."(Shaw, 68). This statistic proves that in the 20th century, sex is the main focus and attraction for the networks. What they don't take into consideration is that children watch these programs as well. The period between 8:00 pm and 9:00, the former "Family Hour", is the time when programs such as Seinfield and Ellen, two shows that openly talk about sex and sexual preference, ai!r. Children are exposed to these television shows and personally I feel that it affects their sexual behaviors negatively in the future.The Kaiser Family Foundation study in 1996 shows that,
With these numbers, I see it vital for parents to understand the consequences that occur when their children aren't talked to about sex. Research in the Kaiser Foundation Study explains "Other research cited in the study points to high correlations between watching T. The consequences and the effects of a "before marriage" relationship were shown as being unaccepted and unladylike. My mother was not allowed to talk to men except of course her family. "Two Americans under the age of 20 become infected with HIV every hour (Office of National AIDS Policy, 1996). of the 88 scenes that the researches found that actually depicted or strongly implied sexual intercourse, none-not even the teen-oriented shows-had even a passing reference to contraception or safe sex. Reread these statistics provided and ask yourself, "Can I trust the media to teach my children about sex?" According to Victoria Rideout, "The bottom line is that what kids learn about sex is important. "Sexual messages on Television: Comparing Findings from Three Studies. Immediately my father shut the movie off and we watched a family television show instead. I understand that I am not a parent yet and I am just a student in college, but believe me I have done my research. Growing up in India, their lives were much more restricted when they were teenagers than my generation is today.
Common topics in this essay:
Growing India,
JJ Abrams,
Kunkel Cope,
Family Foundation,
Cope Pg,
Foundation Study,
Golden Age,
Victoria Rideout,
Waxman C7,
Seinfield Ellen,
sex television,
sexual content,
learn sex,
learn sex television,
sexual intercourse,
family foundation,
watching tv,
foundation study,
don't leave,
sexual behaviors,
parents talk children,
learned sex television,
kaiser family foundation,
talk sex,
|
Acceptance Essays
