Posted on 04/03/2006 10:36:07 AM PDT by mlc9852
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Sexually charged music, magazines, TV and movies push youngsters into intercourse at an earlier age, perhaps by acting as kind of virtual peer that tells them everyone else is doing it, a study said Monday.
"This is the first time we've shown that the more kids are exposed to sex in media the earlier they have sex," said Jane Brown of the University of North Carolina, chief author of the report.
Previous research had been limited to television, said the study which looked at 1,017 adolescents when they were aged 12 to 14 and again two years later. They were checked on their exposure during the two years to 264 items -- movies, TV shows, music and magazines -- which were analyzed for their sexual content.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Who is forcing people to buy these magazines that the very same people complain about?
I'm skeptical about this study. For several years now the rate of teen sex (i.e., the percentage who've had sex by a certain age) has been dropping. Yet, I see no reason to think the media has become any less sex-charged. Quite to the contrary, it's become more so.
--if that took a study to determine, I am the uncle of a monkey---(sarcasm)--
What you say is most interesting. Is it possible that teenagers are smarter than entertainment conglomerates?
It occurs to me that the kids who were not exposed so much to these influences are also probably kids who have parents who are more conservative about what their kids see and do.
If that is the case, then this study is flawed by not covering that variable.
Has anybody ever thought of the fact that before the 20th century, people were getting married in their teens?
I suppose back than, you were already married by the time your hormones raged and "teen sex" was never a problem. Now we send our kids to school, send them to college, and delay marriage until the mid-20s and even early 30s.
I don't know what the culprit is, but it's getting kinda gross. I took my niece to Six Flags Over Georgia on Saturday. The young girls (11, 12, 13) were dressed so provocatively that I was a bit embarrased to be looking at them. There were way too many little girls with white shirts and white bras getting soaked on the water rides. Many simply walked around the park in their bathing suits. Dang near all of them were showing crack and mid-drift. I'm certainly no prude in any shape, form, or fashion, but this stuff really impacted/disgusted me.
A lot of people are engaging in teenage-like behavior when they are far older than teenagers. It's none of my business, but I don't think they're doing themselves any favors.
Of course it can have an impact. How many guys grew up wanting to be just like James Bond?
Most studies are flawed in some way, I think. And it appears it was a NC study so that would not necessarily be indicative of teens in other areas. Still interesting, though.

Sex and violence. Seems kids are able to separate fantasy and reality. Unlike some pundits.
Of course HER NAME was on that subscription, and we were all asking "How does this apply to us -- when YOU are the only one reading this trash?"
Boy, now there is a shock.
the media is screwing up our children? in other news, the sun rose in the east today...
We delay maturity more and more... sex, driving, alcohol, etc.
It only causes grown adults to act like juveniles.
I suppose back than, you were already married by the time your hormones raged and "teen sex" was never a problem. Now we send our kids to school, send them to college, and delay marriage until the mid-20s and even early 30s.
My grandmother was married and had my uncle by 16, my great-grandmother was 14 I think.
Back in the day, they had way more to worry about than recreational sex, toys and entertainment.
Excellent point. "Adolescence" as we know it today, is entirely a fabrication of our modern western civilization.
Back in the day, they had way more to worry about than recreational sex, toys and entertainment.
Having trouble with my tags today.
So am I. If people could be influenced by what they see in the media, I'm sure people would be selling media time for that purpose.
Oh, wait.... they do sell media time for that purpose.
* Yeak I know - that's all of them
Just you describing it is enough for me to throw up!
I never thought of it that way. Great point!
So you think it's okay for kids to be having sex?
I think that back then, mores were shaped and determined more so by parents, family, and lesser authority figures such as school teachers and clergy. The entertainment and media culture wasn't as well-armed as it is today, and they certainly couldn't bombard our kids with advertising as quickly.
So now by the time a young adult has reached today's "marrying age" -- assuming that they EVER do -- their idea of what married life is about has been shaped by forces way beyond their family.
I remember that Aerosmith video about the elevator. I ran outside my dorm room and want to have sex.
I don't even know what to do with this little side note from the middle of the story ...
We live in an era in which erectile dysfunction medications are openly sold during the family hour on even Fox News. Duh!
But what we all need to remember is that this is very likely true, and one more reason why children need parents and parents need to do their jobs.
Nobody should use this as a call to censorship. All should use this as a call to pay attention to what their children are watching and listening to.
Shalom.
Did you make that up yourself?
I don't think it's a good idea for teens to get married but my sister got married at 16, finished school, had her first child at 18, and they have been married for 34 years now.
The difference to a liberal is that smoking is harmful. They don't see sex as being harmful. They don't even think oral sex is sex. They figure that kids are going to do it anyway, so give the condoms and birth control. I think that liberals want kids to have sex.
The difference to a liberal is that smoking is harmful. They don't see sex as being harmful. They don't even think oral sex is sex. They figure that kids are going to do it anyway, so give the condoms and birth control. I think that liberals want kids to have sex.
...if this is true, why can't I get any?
These people are misguided. The sexually comfortable often turn out to be screw ups.... big time.
Just hang around a high school...
I grew up wanting to be Bond, Matt Helm or Hugh Hefner. It was quite a shock when I found out how much Hefner paid those girls.
But I'm sure you considered being as rich as Hef and matching him dollar for dollar at least once.
Maybe in your teenage years, that is.
Anyone catch the Britney Spears photo in the article? Ewww x 10.
No, but I can see why certain media blowhards wish these sorts of facts away. Like the global warming chicken littles, they have nothing to gain unless there is a "crisis" to bemoan.
The data is from U.S. Department of Justice - Bureau of Justice Statistics. The particular chart is from here.

Immaterial to this raw data directly from the DOJ has been superimposed a few video game related dates, to give context for the timespan.

All that has increased is media coverage of rarer and rarer events.
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