...Adolescent Sexuality and Modern Media ENG 122 August 5, 2012 Adolescent Sexuality and Modern Media Adolescents are greatly influenced negatively by media of today, whether that is adult television, music, or the World Wide Web. Our society is consumed by some form of media today, which could be the overabundance of reality shows on TV or by the use of Facebook which is exposing the youth to sexual content and innuendos. With the freedom of speech engraved into the United States Constitution, to ask that the media be regulated is almost impossible. Parents need to be held more accountable for what their children are exposed to, and if they are involved in some form of media that could be questionable, parents should have free resources available to assist in explaining the consequences of the negative behavior. Does today’s modern media truly have an effect on our adolescent girls and if so, in what ways. Girls from the ages of fourteen through 18 are doing unquestionable things today that you did not see in the ‘80’s. TV programming has taken an extreme jump from the simplicities of cartoons, comedies and sitcoms to the unregulated exposure of today’s reality, and its consequences. When one turns on the TV, channels that have been geared towards our younger generation, for example MTV and VH1, these channels initially consisted of music videos, have now turned into Pandora’s Box, with programming consisting of 16 & Pregnant, Jersey Shore, Basketball Wives...
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...Media Portrayal of Sexuality and Adolescents Kaylene Merchant PSY/265 September 4, 2014 Doris Tolan Media Portrayal of Sexuality and Adolescents It is no secret that the media can have a major influence over the lives of individuals; it helps to shape trends and social behaviors across our nation and the world. Adults and children alike can be influenced into certain behaviors based on what they witness through the media, and teenagers, who are fairly impressionable, are no exception. The effects of the media’s portrayal of sexuality are ranging, but it is safe to say that the majority of individuals in the US have all been affected in one way or another by the media. The consequences of the media’s effect on adolescents has only been examined through correlational studies which compared the sexual activity portrayed in the media with trends among teens (Gruber & Grube, 2000). From the research found, it is obvious that adolescents tend to reflect the sexuality that they witness through the media. The media often shows sexuality as a commodity, and the casual acceptance is typically adopted by adolescents. Adolescents are more likely to engage in the behaviors that are shown as appropriate by the media. This means that after a teenage girl sees how young pregnant girls are turned into reality stars, she is more likely to engage in the same behaviors in hopes of becoming famous. As young men witness the acceptance of promiscuity, they may take part in the same activities...
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...Baleigh Holder Mrs. Withrow English 1123 1 October 2015 Parental influence to celebrity influence Every parent should have the natural desire to raise his/her child as independent and moral individuals. However, it is common for others to be influenced by their surroundings, such as social media sources, television shows, peers, family members, etc. Moreover, these models of behavior definitely contribute to how we form our perspectives of the world. Arguably, parents and celebrities are two of the most influential factors during childhood. Whether they are modeling positive or negative lifestyle choices, parents and celebrities alike face the consequences of those choices, and, subsequently, their children learn from seeing these experiences. Parents are very important when it comes to influencing their children’s lifestyle choices. Being if they live with them, children are with their parents almost all of the time. They teach their children everything from walking, talking, potty training, and etc. Children and young teens watch their parent’s everyday choices. Most parents can be a positive influence for their children, and raise them to be independent and moral. For instance, a parent can be a hard worker, providing for their family everyday, and teaching them that having an education is very important. On the other hand, parents can also show negative influences to young teens. For example, if a parent smokes and drinks all the time, and their children see their...
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...the environment influences teenage pregnancy in the United States. The purpose of this essay is to identify how preeminent teenage pregnancy has become in teens ages fourteen and up, how famous it has become in the United States and how the majority of teens do not finish their education after becoming pregnant. The sources used in this essay provide the necessary information needed for readers to understand why and how a teenagers environment has become influential for them becoming pregnant. Teenage pregnancy is affecting teens by causing them to drop out of school and not finish their education which later results in a limited amount of choices when choosing a career. Outline Thesis: The social life of teenagers influences teenage pregnancy through pressure from peers, too much access to the media and lack of sex education from parents and teachers in the United States. I. Peer pressure in the United States is the major factor influencing teenage pregnancy in the U.S. A. During adolescence, teenagers often feel pressure to make friends and fit in with their peers. B. Many times these teens let their friends influence their decision to have sex. C. The Kaiser Family Foundation states that more than 29 percent of pregnant teens reported that they felt pressured to have sex. II. Excessive access to the media plays an important role in teenage pregnancy A. In the U.S today, the majority of teens have access to...
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...Throughout the previous years, teenage pregnancy has become a public distress and has generated abundant attention in the Philippines. Nearly every year, there is an increase in the percentage of pregnant teens. In August 2014, the Philippine Statistics Authority released the final results of the 2013 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS). The survey shows that childbearing is increasing among girls from 15 to 19 years old across all regions in the Philippines. Teenage pregnancy is prevalent in the Philippines due to the influence of media, absence of good role models and lack of financial resources. Messages from the newspapers, magazines, radio and television have always had a great influence in shaping adolescent behavior. The media and advertising business has always been successful in making people recall their brands. Advertising not only encourages consumers to buy goods and services they cannot afford, but also appeals to the emotions of the customers. Sex appeal is used to sell products in many ways. The people in the media industry take advantage of the audience’s responsiveness to sexual stimuli to make a profit. The increasing sexualization of content in the media suggests teenagers that these are normal ways to behave. Advertisement and the media have found ways to sell sex, regardless of the target audience. Sex talk is typical in magazines like Cosmopolitan, FHM and Maxim. Sex is the main theme in TV series like Desperate Housewives, Gossip Girl...
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...The Theology of Sexuality Ashlee Mason Liberty University Abstract Sex and Marriage There are many excerpts from the Bible that speak on what sex is supposed to entail. Sex is God’s gift to men and women who come together in the commitment of marriage. * Hebrews 13:4, NIV. "Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure." * I Corinthians 7:3,4, NIV says, "The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife." * I Corinthians 7:5, TLB. "So do not refuse these rights to each other. The only exception to this rule would be the agreement of both husband and wife to refrain from the rights of marriage for a limited time, so that they can give themselves more completely to prayer. Afterwards, they should come together again so that Satan won't be able to tempt them because of their lack of self-control." In the aforementioned passages it is implied that the union of marriage should be honored by all and not just the two that are married. It is also implied that once man and woman are married their body then becomes something that is shared so to deny one’s spouse of their marital duties on a consistent basis that is not agreed upon by both husband and wife leaves them susceptible to temptations outside of their marriage. Forbidden Sex When interpreting...
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...English 379 March 12, 2013 In the movie easy A, a teen comedy, the main character Olive is initially presented to the viewers as the virginal and feminine high school student who dresses like the average high school student, mostly in pants, and turns out to be transformed into the sex object/pin-up girl to resemble her counterparts in the movie. One being her best friend Rhi and the other Marianne, both whom which throughout the entire movie are always in very short skirts and/or extremely revealing tops, especially Rhiannon. Nonetheless, the one normal, dressing female in the movie, Olive, is then in turn forced and presented as a skank, a whore, and a home wrecker. Although one of the central themes of the movie is the loss of virginity, there are no sex scenes and it does displays a witty, contemporary, modern day spin on Nathaniel Hawthorne's classic novel, The Scarlet Letter. Moreover, the message depicted throughout the movie is that an innocent, little white lie can get blown out of proportion and that teenagers in general are concerned of how others perceive them in their day to day lives. The movie starts off with Olive being portrayed as a virginal, down to earth, average high school student with no cares in the world but is hastily transformed into the slutty female character very commonly used throughout Hollywood films to depict females nowadays. When a little white lie about losing her virginity meant for her best friends ears only gets out of hand and...
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...Few stages are as important for the proper development of a child as the sexual stages. Because children are experiencing something profoundly new and unexpected (even if it is actually radically old and predictable), they lack the experiential vocabulary required to communicate it. It is our job as parents to be in tune with these amorphous emotions and nascent desires. Learning to distinguish between "normal" and "alarming" childhood sexual behavior is key to ensuring healthy sexual development. If deviant or violent sexual behavior goes unnoticed or untreated in these early stages, there can be grave consequences. The brutal murder of 7-year-old Jorelys Rivera serves as a painful but apt example of such consequences. This past Thursday, January 19, the grisly saga came to a violent close when Rivera's killer, 20-year-old Ryan Brunn, hung himself in his jail cell. In the wake of this maelstrom, the families of both victim and perpetrator are left picking up the pieces of their shattered lives, while the public at large continue to ask: How could this tragedy have been averted? Stories like these can be terrifying for parents. We all fear the possibility that one of our children could end up a victim of sexual crime. However, parents rarely consider the possibility that one of their children could end up the perpetrator of those same crimes. Until Ryan Brunn plead guilty, his family couldn't believe that he had committed the crime. "[He is] kind-hearted. ... He's great with...
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...Explain the major factors or historical foundation that contributed to making the selected social issue important for sociological consideration Human sexuality is defines as an area of research and study that focuses on all aspects of humans as sexual beings. Basically, human sexuality involves much more than anatomy and sexual responses, but incorporates how we engage in relationships and behaviors that determine our desires and sexual identity as well as our overall sexual health, well-being, and our perceptions and expressions (Hockenbury and Hockenbury, 2006). There are many factors that help develop our sexuality, arguably one of the most important, is our actual gender. Whether, I am a female or male will likely have a major influence on the development of my individual sexuality. Furthermore, sexuality is an integral part of our personalities whether we are aware of it or not. Although Human sexuality is a normal part of life and everyday development, there are several sides to human sexuality and how we behave as human beings. There is the impact on aging in sexuality, sex and violence, and sexuality (Hockenbury and Hockenbury, 2006). One of the historical events was the sexual revolution in American come of age in the late 1960s. The Playboy magazine became the most popular in America. Also in the 1960s sexual mores was upside-down. First was the technology of birth control. The birth control pill was perfected, for the first time giving women the freedom...
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...The Power of Media to influence youth Abstract: This study is based on one of the most common methods of qualitative research – Thematic Analysis. It highlights the extent to which print media is using sexuality to generate interest amongst the youth for a particular product or service. The study also focuses on the effect that mass media have on our youngsters. To prove this further, the theory of Social Reflection has been used as a tool which shows the kind of impact a particular message or an advertisement (in this case) will have on society. For this test random sampling method was used, fourteen random newspapers from 30th May 2002 to 10th November 2011 were taken as samples to conduct the test. The study has verified and there are enough grounds on basis of which it can be said that print media or media in general is communicating the messages in a way which has got huge impact on our young generation. Introduction: United Kingdom is facing a lot challenge because of increasing rate of teenage sex and the credit for this goes to media which openly portrays sexual activities. Apart from this United Kingdom is also worried about the rising health issues amongst teens who are highly vulnerable to media .Schools in United Kingdom have incorporated sex education as a subject to equip students with the needed information. Still teenage pregnancy cases are highest in United Kingdom. Only teaching sex education as a subject in Schools is...
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...Sexuality of the Teen and Young Adult Tomekia Brewer Strayer University Sociology 100 Professor Tasha Anderson January 28, 2012 Sexuality of the Teen and Young Adult 1 Sexuality of the Teen and Young Adult As parents and adults, it is our duty to help our teens and young adults develop into smart, sexual beings, which is very important to their future happiness. The mystery about sex is that it so interesting, such a power for good, but can be very dangerous for young people if they are on the wrong track. Sex education in schools continues to have the debates of practicing abstinence and practicing safe sex. Doctors say that what is missing is the need to focus on love and sexual intimacy which play a big role in the human life. If we look at what today's teens are doing, it is enough to make parents weep and Safe-sex educators recognize that there is a greater need for condoms. The Guttmacher Institute reported recently that more than 75 percent of teens have had sex by the time they are 19 years old. Some 25 percent of virgins over 15 have had oral sex; of those who've had intercourse, almost all have also engaged in oral sex and 11 percent in anal sex. Of kids under the age of 15, about 14 percent have had sexual intercourse, and a quarter of teenagers have had at least one sexually transmitted disease. In fact, young people account...
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...Media’s Sexualization of Our Daughters English 101-B13 Abstract This paper explores the ways media productions have become the main culprit in the sexualization of children. The Bratz Doll itself is a device of the media and all the media images posted on her demonstrates the extent of influence that media hype has on children. Kids are inundated with marketing to sell sex products, including but not limited to provocative clothing which interferes with the healthy development of kids. Harmful images embedded with media misconceptions objectify girls and woman. Children are being transformed into miniature adults with the Media assuming the role of guidance counselor. With both parent’s working in the majority of households, the Media also serves as a substitute parent. A lost childhood is a formula for disaster and long-term issues on all levels of functioning in society. Education, communication, and setting boundaries are essential in creating a reality mindset regarding media ploys. Teaching girls and women that they are not mere vessels of sexual pleasure; rather daughters of God designed to project intelligence and virtue (Proverbs 31:10). Understanding technology, including social media is imperative; however, it is a matter of discernment and balance. Sexy Too Soon: The Medias’ Sexualization of Our Daughters One of the epidemics in the world is the Medias ’sexualization of children. Women and teenage girls are sexualized and objectified more than men...
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...Running head: MORE THAN HORMONES Teen Pregnancy: More Than Just Raging Hormones Amberette Kennard Psychology 101 Professor Greg Harmling 05/10/2011 Teen Pregnancy: More Than Just Raging Hormones A young girl gets ready to leave for school. She brushes her teeth, combs her hair and picks out an outfit. She gets dressed and takes one final look in the mirror before heading out. She stares at her midsection, anxiously trying to adjust her shirt. It’s getting harder and harder to hide…soon everyone will know... Despite a one-third decline since the early 1990s, the United States still has the highest rates of teen pregnancy and birth among comparable countries. In 2008, the U.S. teen birth rate was 41.5 births per 1,000 girls age 15-19. By way of comparison, the U.S. teen birth rate is nearly two times higher than the United Kingdom (26.7 per 1,000). (The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, 2010) Teen pregnancy has been the leading topic of many U.S. talk shows, news programs, documentaries, and movies. Its appearance in so many mediums demonstrates that there is a fascination with and strong desire to understand the problem of teen pregnancy in the United States and the constant search for a solution. There have been many studies on the physical causes of teen pregnancy such as rising hormone levels, the adolescent brain’s transition, and more. Although there has been...
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...secondary sexual characteristics, such as strong jaws and Adam’s apples with testosterone and fuller breasts in women with estrogen. Both of these hormones are found in both males and females. Typically, males will have more testosterone than estrogen in their system. The reverse is true for females. Sexual hormones do not have great influence in humans, especially once sufficient hormone levels are present. Once sexual hormones decline in age with humans so do intercourse and fantasies of a sexual nature. 3. Describe the role of external stimuli and fantasies in sexual motivation and behavior. The role of external stimuli is to have a response of arousal. The activated parts in the brain are different for people of different genders. Sexual fantasies are also a way to trigger arousal. Around 95 percent of people say they have sexual fantasies. Sexual fantasies are healthy for the psyche and reflect a sexually active person. 4. Discuss some of the forces that influence teen pregnancy and teen attitudes toward contraception. An increase in teen pregnancy can be attributed to premarital sex. Only one-third of sexually active teen males use condoms on the regular basis as part of their sex life. Some reasons for this is ignorance (a large part that is due in...
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...Related Literature and Studies This chapter presents the related literature and studies about the factors affecting teenage pregnancy. Implications of these related articles and topics were used in the conduct of this study that aimed to describe the theoretical basis of the study being undertaken. A. PERSONAL FACTORS Positive family interaction According to Perez (2010) even though family relationships are important, family communication is especially important because it gives the foundation in a teenager’s life and relationships. Without the strong communication dialogue between family members, teenagers are more likely to make unhealthy choices with their life and relationships. In general, people find it difficult to communicate and understand what is happening in the world around them. Not having communication dialogue between family members is disruptive to the family’s environment and structure. It is especially destructive to an individual’s life because without communication, the individual is left with no support and clarity of his/ her social surroundings. The field of communication offers knowledge and understanding between family members and individuals. Family communication is the foundation that strengthens family interaction. Lack of communication affects behaviors and attitudes. Young people who reported feeling a lack of parental warmth, love, or caring were also more likely to report emotional distress, lower self-esteem, school problems...
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