Introduction
While brainstorming the term media, words such as power, exploitation, entertainment, humor, sex, and violence are appropriate for its description. In the digitalized era of today, media has taken the platform of television, computer, internet, cell phones and other high tech gadgets. All these mediums provide an extra power to influences the whole society. From news to entertainment programs, and from movies to songs, media is exercising control over the minds of the whole population around the globe. With time, it has paved its way from streets to banks and from schools to homes. Despite the contentment and glam which it brings to life, its increasing portrayal of sex and violence has dire consequences on individuals. From the days of motion pictures to the current time of media explosion, the society has been concerned about topics of sex and violence which is often portrayed by the media. Also, cultural difference plays a significant role in demonstrating these aspects. While violent behavior is considered unhealthy, sex is something that is driven by values and is seen to be a conflicting sensitive matter. In this regard, regardless of the advancement of media over the period of time, the public has been concerned about sex and violence since long. This is seen via the studies widely conducted from the time of 1970s till the 1980s where exploring the impact of pornography was of major focus. However, it was in 1990s, that research shifted its direction towards assessing violence and sex with respect to its portrayal through media. Although sex and violence have long been a favorite portrayal of media, it is just the progress of technology that has increased the exposure of individuals belonging to varying age groups towards the inventions. This is evident from the finding that from 1997 to 2001, the amount of sexual content shown on the television alone drastically doubled (Kunkel et al., 2002). Today, the number of movies, shows, pornography sites and video games depicting sexual and violent material has greatly increased resulting in dissatisfaction with body, life and relationships.
Realities such as teen pregnancy, sexual orientation, puberty, female objectification, relationship issues, crimes and violent behavior is closely associated with media since the day it was introduced. The difference in media portrayal of sex and violence today and the earlier times can be attributed to the pace with which different media forums such as magazine, TV and internet are being developed and hence are taking the form of advanced gadgets. Therefore, although research slowly began to grow in exploring these issues and the exposure is now easier due to high-tech devices, sex and violence have been a major concern in relation to the media from the very beginning.
The changes in media portrayal of sex
The influence of media on sexual behavior with respect to sex education was first publically addressed in a newsletter in 1981 (Corder-Bolz, 1981). This was a typical assessment for adolescents. With time, serious measures were taken and several research institutes initiated studies on this matter. This was mainly because of the impact of media content on children and adolescents. Topics such as contraceptives, gender roles, sexual identity and female objectification were under the scrutiny of institutes such as the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry & American Psychological Association, 2001). These took place from 1980s and are still found to be active. Media portrayal of sex dates back to the time of 1970s which is evident from its presence in the print media. One of the most famous teen magazines of U.S; Seventeen, immensely increased its content which was on the theme of sex (Carpenter, 1998). Since this magazine targets the pre-teen girls, issues pertaining to sexuality, commitment and sex roles often result in anxiety and other developmental problems. Along with Seventeen, other magazines such as Glamour and YM, were also examined for their published content. Studies found that this form of media displayed white heterosexuals and passed the message of attraction amongst girls. Also, these magazines showed boys as insecure hiding their sexual interests where girls were encouraged to attract them (Garner, Sterk & Adams, 1998). Therefore, the media portrayal of sex dates back to several years. Although it has increased in intensity today mainly because of the different and advanced forms of the media, it continues to target the youth at a greater extent. This is seen from the underlying fact that research investigating the content of advertisement as published in magazines show female models in seductive dresses that depict prepubescent girls as more sexually attractive younger girls to be more virginal. Television which is another form of popular media has been widely watched by adolescents since long. Content analyses of shows from 1990s depict sexual scenes such as kissing, touching and intimacy at a higher proportion where the scenes of sexual intercourse were not much. However, research suggests that from 1990s to 2002, sexual content displayed on the television has greatly increased where about 71 percent of the shows portrayed approximately 6.1 sex related scenes per hour (Farrar et al., 2003). Similar to the other forms of media, internet is another powerful source which is highly populated by the youth mainly because of its easy access. Many adolescents refer to the internet to know more about their bodies which also includes sex. Consequently, they are exposed to the world of pornography. In 1990s, internet pornography accounted for almost $1 billion (Griffiths, 2001).
Impact of media portrayal of sex across various age groups
The impact of media content can be explained by Albert Bandura’s Social Learning Theory (1994) which proposes that individuals learn a behavior when they see and imitate it. In this way, this seen and imitated behavior is likely to be adopted and implemented by them. In a similar way, whatever is depicted via the media is adopted as a behavior. Hence, exposure to media content of sex and violence results in a similar behavior. Studies show that individuals are exposed to the sexual content displayed on the media as early as 6 years of age. This is via coming across dating shows, sitcoms and soaps that focus on the realm of forbidden fruit (Kelley, Buckingham & Davies, 1999). Children’s association with sexual material is evident from the survey that was conducting among college students who recalled their childhood to be the time when they were first exposed to such content via the media. Consequently, teenagers between ages 13-19 years are seen to experience pregnancies. These adolescent girls reported to have a greater exposure to R-rated films, pornography and other sexually explicit material displayed on the media. Also, with the advent of the internet and its high usage among children, negative online experiences have become common. Great numbers of children have been subjected to unsafe internet encounters with strangers which often revolve around pornography and sexual content. Internet pornography increased as noticeable by the studies of 2005. These researches reveal adolescent males who were more exposed to sexual content on the media, to be unsatisfied with life having younger friends. Also, the youth is typically more involved in transforming their fake online relationships into real ones (Preston, 2011). This results in serious repercussions. With the current boom of social networking sites, such relationships and exposure to sexually explicit details have taken a rise. Studies also show that developing internet based relationships adversely affect the peer interactions in real life (Wolak, Mitchell, & Finkelhor, 2007). Findings also reveal that the type of content also affects the sexual behavior, preferences and attitudes in real life. For instance those individuals between 12 to 14 years who watched sexual content in music videos were at a risk of light sexual activities as compared to those who saw sexual content in movies were at the greater risk of light as well as heavy sexual activities. Also individuals who are more exposed sexual content are seen to have multiple sexual partners having been exposed to higher risk. Also, these individuals exposed to pornography report positive for STDs having multiple sexual partners and unsafe sex practices (Brown, Halpern, & L'Engle, 2005).
In addition, studies have stated that media is an important determinant of teen pregnancy in USA. This idea is further evident from the research presented by Chandra et al. (2008) which proposes a close link between early teen pregnancy because of high exposure to sexual content on the television especially for individuals below 20 (Chandra et al., 2008). Furthermore, majority of the prime-time TV shows depict sexual content where only a smaller amount mentions about the risks associated with such practices. This is conspicuous especially in USA which is renowned for the highest teen pregnancy rate. This may be accredited to the way American media portrays sex and considers it as a harmless sport. In addition, the American media industry still believes in the myth that advertising contraceptives would increase sexual activities amongst the youth which might be said to account for the high rate of early pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases noted in USA. In essence, several studies reveal that providing free condoms or advertising birth control methods do not only decrease teen pregnancies but it also increases the use of contraceptives and other safe sex practices amongst the sexually active individuals (Strasburger, 2010).
Media’s portrayal of violence across age and gender
Sexual activities especially at an early age are directly related to the intensity of interaction with media related devices. In other words, media plays a vital role when it comes to sex education as it has been recorded that on an average, a child/ teenager spends approximately 7 hours per day on TV, music, computer, magazine or the internet. This is evident from the number of studies which have found a great difference between the sexual activity of adolescents/teenagers who are exposed to unattended media and those who are under surveillance of their parents. As a matter of fact, since the youth is at a closer distance to the media, they tend to relate this virtual world and measure it in terms of reality. In this way, the media celebrities are idealized and seen to be equivalent to peers who teach the public appropriate sex (Strasburger & Wilson, 2008). Also, different content affects a different set of population. The famous media theories state that easily accessible sexual content impacts the psychosexual development of young people. In this regard, if they find the content pleasant, they seek for similar more erotic stuff as compared to those who find it disgustful and thereby keep away. Other theories suggest that often the content observed on the media for example body parts on the internet, act as conditioned stimuli that plays a role in their arousal. Hence, whatever views the various theories suggest, it is quite evident that media’s portrayal of sex takes a form of risk free, harmless activity which makes it so desirable for people especially the youth who understand sex in terms of fun, without commitment, and an activity without consequences.
Also exposure to violent sexual films or wrestling shows does not only increase rape and the pleasure associated with forced sex for males, but it also makes rape acceptable for them. In this regard, viewing rated violent films also result in a number of inappropriate behaviors. Survey suggests that majority of the teenagers have at least watched one such film. Movies such as Friday the 13th and Halloween are seen to attract teenagers. Consequently, examining the impact of watching such films result in a desensitizing impact where individuals report a lower level of negative emotional arousal (Buerkel-Rothfuss, Strouse, Pettey, & Shatzer, 1993). In contrast to the exposure of violent sexual activities on the media, violence depicted on television shows and movies are seen to have dire consequences for the children more as compared to the adults. In this regard, elementary school children are often afraid of the scary and violent content on the television. Undergraduate surveys also show that students recall the time of their early teen years or childhood to be scared and anxious because of violent media portrayal. As a result, media portrayal of violence result in disturbed eating and sleeping pattern of individuals. This also permeates to their perceptions about reality where they do not only become socially isolated but also start believing in similar media representations of not walking alone specifically in the dark, of not talking to strangers and viewing the world as violent. However, the violent content is perceived and interpreted in a different manner on the basis of gender and age. Children are seen to get more affected by violence because of their belief in fantasy. However, while children get scared by monsters and witches, older individuals are scared of terrorism and wars (Cantor, 2002). Furthermore on violence, studies also reveal that specific violent related news reports which show massacres and wars using arms and ammunitions and suicide cases have instilled similar behaviors among masses (Tom, n.d). Violent video games also serve the similar purpose of aggression and hyperactivity amongst teenagers (Hassan, 1996).
Conclusion
Thus the meaning of true relationships based on love, interaction with peers and responsible sex is now being transformed into relationships lacking commitment and being based on sexual desires and risk free sexual activities. Sex is being sold out as a commodity being propagated via the different media forums such as magazine, TV, and internet since a very long period of time. The sole purpose of media encompassing entertainment, information and education has taken a different form which is adversely affecting and shaping sexual behaviors, preferences and adverse life experiences especially for the adolescents and teenagers. Although older individuals are at a lower risk as compared to the younger people because of media’s portrayal of sex and violence, all the age groups are being exposed to a content which is changing the way they perceive important concepts. As a result, women are being considered as sex objects and are losing respect because of the way they are identified. Similarly, aggression and unsafe sex is increasing by viewing violent pornography and sexual material that gives rise to rape and other unacceptable practices. Violent TV shows and movies do not only scare children but are also affecting the overall functioning and mental peace of adults. Regardless of the current media explosion which shows a drastic increase in the sexual content which it displays, sex and violence have been a major concern in relation to media. This is because of the fact that regardless of its intensity, it has been a part of popular media from beginning.
Therefore, while looking at the negative consequences it has on the life of individuals, it is important to regulate the content being displayed via the media. This is mainly because of the way media has changed the societal communication and preferences towards relationships intimacy and interaction. With regulations at the part of the authorities along with parental vigilance and educational surveillance in regard to the content being portrayed by the media, the negative impact left by the television shows, movies, music, internet and magazines can be controlled by saving the future generations of the society. Strict parental control and banning of pornography can help minimize the damage. Also, using the media in a positive light by spreading the message of safer sex practice and contraceptive can save the world from several risks and dangers.
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