Sexual influences from the media

There is growing concern about young people's exposure to sexual content through television and other electronic media and about its potential effects on their sexual attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. Researchers have documented the growing prevalence of sexual talk and portrayals of sexual behavior in televised media, as well as associations between adolescent viewing patterns and their sexual activities. The emphasis was on rigorous research and included accessing the expertise of health care professionals and other knowledgeable sources on the media. The available research does not adequately address the effects of exposure to sexual content in the media on adolescent beliefs, knowledge, intentions, and behaviors. Similarly, research on sexual content of the Internet, in video games or other handheld devices, or in the multitude of other electronic media has been scant. Adolescents may be exposed to sexual content in the media during a developmental period when gender roles, sexual attitudes, and sexual behaviors are being shaped.

Share via Email Children and teenagers who are exposed to sex through the media are more likely to engage in sexual activity than those who are not, according to new research. A study by an American team has found a direct relationship between the amount of sexual content children see and their level of sexual activity or their intentions to have sex in the future. The survey, published in the Journal of Adolescent Health and online, claims that film, television, music and magazines may act as a kind of "sexual super peer" for teenagers seeking information about sex. It also suggests that the media have at least as great an influence on sexual behaviour as religion or a child's relationship with their parents and peers. More than 1, American children between the ages of 12 and 15 were asked to list the kinds of media they were exposed to regularly. They also answered questions about their health and levels of sexual activity, including whether they went on dates, kissed, had oral sex or full sex. Researchers then examined the sexual content of items on the list, which included teen magazines, teen movies and TV programmes.

Objectives: To examine the role of mass media and Internet utilization in shaping the sexual health attitudes and behaviors of young undergraduates in Osogbo metropolis, Osun State, Nigeria. Materials and methods: In a descriptive cross-sectional study, undergraduates were selected using a multistage random sampling technique. Four hundred and fifty pretested, semistructured questionnaires were distributed; of these, were returned properly filled.

Generation M2: Media in the lives of 8- to year-olds. Kaiser Family Foundation; January Note: The study did not include texting and talking on a cell phone in the estimate of total time with media. Some numbers have been calculated from data tables, and some forms of media studied have been omitted from the table.