Sexual Values Portrayed in Popular Media for Adolescents - Admission/Application Essay Example

? Sexual Values Portrayed In Popular Media for Adolescents Sexual Values Portrayed In Popular Media for Adolescents Introduction There are so many opinions and views about the effects that sexual content in mass media has on adolescents, and they are more often than not, embedded in religious and political overtones (Huston, Wartella, & Donnerstein, 1995). Many adolescents today, are engaging in sex at unusually early ages; and in most cases, with multiple sexual partners. Apart from sexual attitudes, and behaviors, mass media, as reported through various research processes, is responsible for influences on adolescents on such issues as alcohol use, tobacco use, violence, and eating disorders (Huston, Wartella, & Donnerstein, 1995). The effects of mass media, on adolescent sexual, behaviors have been ignored for a long time. This is regardless of the fact that, sexual content; of an explicit nature, have found their way into different forms of media; within the reach of adolescents (Huston, Wartella, & Donnerstein, 1995). This paper aims to indicate how mass media exposure influences adolescents into sexual activities. Little attention has been given to the impacts of exposure to sexual content in mass media over the years (Huston, Wartella, & Donnerstein, 1995). However, content, analytic studies on the same, indicates that instances of sexuality portrayals in movies and television has been on the rise; which is evidence enough, that entertainment media contains so much sexual messages and connotations which affect adolescents (Ward, 2003). Through reviews of scholarly articles and additional literature, this paper provides insight and evidence of the above claim on the effects of exposure to sexual content via mass media; on adolescents. Literature Review According to Monique Ward (2003), the media have assumed a very prominent role in sexually socializing adolescents over the years. Nonetheless, there is little first-hand evidence to support this premise due the slow accumulation of the same. In her article, in the Developmental Review Journal, she provides the motivation and fuel for future research in the field, by doing an overview of what the situation currently looks like. Her overview covers research into the content in both television and magazines that high schools students and their young college counterparts are exposed to; most of them have various forms of sexual content. The paper tries to explain 3 central issues; which are how, what, and finally, where/to, and what extent sexual content is made available for these young people through mass media. The prevalence and nature of the sexual content is examined; those on TV, as well as, the ones on magazines. She then follows this with the theoretical mechanisms that outline how the potential effects and influences occur; thereby presenting the results of examination of such influences. She concludes by stating that frequent and in most cases, involved exposure to the sexually oriented genres of music videos, soap operas, and movies; are associated with widespread acceptance of casual and stereotypical attitudes about sex. Additionally, adolescents who engage, or are exposed to these sexually explicit magazines and television programs have greater levels of sexual experience in sexual activities than their counterparts who do are not exposed. Through her findings, it suffices to say that the media is an influential sexual socializing agent. Exposure to sexual content through mass media among other well-known factors such as poverty, substance abuse, peer influences and parental influences are a potential and largely unexplored factor that contributes and promotes sexual activity among adolescents. The average youth spend most of their time, approximately one third of their time daily, exposed to media. That exposure occurs without the parental knowledge. The potential to influence behavior by mass media has been supported by a number of psychosocial theories such as social-learning theory, priming theory, arousal theory and cultivation theory which in general posits that repeated exposure to sexually related mass media content act as stimuli to change behavioral, psychological and physiologic function of the consumer. Theoretical perspectives: How mass media influences attitudes and behaviors The social learning theory, by Bandura, provides evidence that when people have not engaged in a certain behavior, they can learn by imitating (Escobar-Chaves, et al., 2005). In this theory, three main processes involved in learning are identified: direct experience, indirect experience by observing others and complex information storage and processing via cognitive operations (Escobar-Chaves, et al., 2005). In this theory, it is suggested that social context influence behaviors which are learned. Priming theory has shown that exposure to events such as sexual stereotypes by the mass media, for a short time afterwards activates other similar ideas (Escobar-Chaves, et al., 2005). These ideas can stimulate other concepts, which are semantically related; making them more accessible. The arousal theory points mainly on the immediate effects that may be reflected on behavior by sexually suggestive materials (Escobar-Chaves, et al., 2005). Sexual contents can activate emotions and physiological arousal that can stimulate some contextual, behavioral response. Mass media exposure, according to cultivation theory, leads to the creation and cultivation of attitudes that are more in-line with realities that are media directed (Escobar-Chaves, et al., 2005). This means that media messages and portrayals influence young people’s behaviors through time. It enables them to acquire new behaviors and attitudes apart from changing the possibility that they will perform responses that they learnt earlier (Escobar-Chaves, et al., 2005). This happens when the expectations of a child or a young person, are changed or altered by observing a character who portrays given behaviors on mass media. The environmental cues promoted by mass media leads to adoption of the behaviors. Summary of the media diet makeup for adolescents and their effects on their behaviors and attitudes Cable TV and Broadcast TV viewing is pervasive among adolescents and the majority of the adolescent view TV without adult monitoring (Huston, Wartella, & Donnerstein, 1995). It has been noted that TV sexual contents have been on the rise in the past twenty years. Most of the TV programs portray sex as fun and not as something unacceptable that can ruin one’s life. It brings out sex as casual and guilt free and the goal of every relationship. This is because no negative consequences befall those characters engaging in sexual behaviors shown in TV programs and if there is then it is rare. Adolescents who are frequently exposed to these sexual encounters believe that engaging in promiscuous behavior is normal and acceptable (Huston, Wartella, & Donnerstein, 1995). The more the adolescent watch TV programs with high sexual content, the likely they are to engage in sexual intercourse and the more they get exposed to content showing premarital sex they are likely to rate these portrayals positively. Music Videos With the rapid development in the music industry, music videos are popular among the adolescent (S & L, 1993). More often than not eroticism is portrayed in music videos: the music is less sexual than the visual images presented. Physical contact occurrence is higher in music videos than on conventional TV. Most of the music videos seem to emphasize on sexual contact without commitment. According to a small study in 1986, it was noted that adolescents who had been exposed to music videos especially MTV videos were likely to approve of premarital sex. Movies Young people or rather adolescents are the core target for the film industry. Most of them go to the movies with friends and siblings and not with their parents. Most movies contain sexual contents, which commonly occur among unmarried partners. According to the 1998 report on the study of videotape rentals of the top movies, 15% of sexual scenes were among married couples while the remaining 85% among the unmarried couples. It has been note that most sexually active adolescents especially females who are exposed to movies which are X-rated are expected to have beyond one sexual partners, to have sex frequently, to have negative attitudes towards condom and contraceptive use. Internet Online activities, such as, social interaction, information gathering and entertainment, draw adolescents to the internet. The internet, has also made it easy for adolescents, to access adult-oriented sites. Violent pornography portrayals have increased in the internet, and their accessibility has become easier. This has been facilitated with the existence of search engines like Google which find results in seconds upon typing in word or word combinations by the user. A national survey conducted in America in 1999-2000 found that one youth in every five between the ages of 10-17 had unexpectedly experienced explicit sexual contents. Another one out of every five had encountered with unwanted sexual proposals online in the years before; 73% occurred while the adolescent was browsing and 27% while opening e-mails or clicking the links in e-mails. The imagery was mostly of naked persons, and 32% of the imagery were of people having sex. Conclusion Sex portrayal in mass media is a great deal because it portrays extramarital and pre-marital sex acts as normal. The amount of sexual scenes has been on the rise in several areas of the mass media and adolescents are regularly exposed to them. In most cases sex is portrayed in loving relationship context, which is not true. In addition, the negative consequences of sexual acts in media are not shown, giving it a better impression. This has a greater chance to affect adolescents’ attitude and judgment on sexual behaviors and can have influence on their sexual behaviors. References A, B. (1993). The sexual media: Role of individual differences. Ontario: University of Western Ontario. D, B. J., & F, N. S. (1991). Television viewing and adolescents' sexuality. Journal of Homosexuality, 77-91. Escobar-Chaves, L. S., Tortolero, S. R., Markham, C. M., Low, B. J., Eitel, P., & Thickstun, P. (2005). Impact of the Media on Adolescent Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors. Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Elk Grove Village, Illinois. Huston, A. C., Wartella, E., & Donnerstein, E. (1995). MEASURING THE EFFECTS OF SEXUAL CONTENT IN THE MEDIA: A Report to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Menlo Park, California: Kaiser Family Foundation. S, C. M., & L, C. J. (1993). Viewing music-video tapes before taking a test of premarital sexual attitudes. Psychological Reports, 475-481. Ward, M. L. (2003). Understanding the role of entertainment media in the sexual socialization of American youth: A review of empirical research. Developmental Review, 347-388. Read More