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Adolescent Sexuality and Modern Media

In: English and Literature

Submitted By msglove43
Words 2520
Pages 11
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 and Love & Hip Hop Atlanta. Upon watching these shows, young girls develop a sense of understanding the acceptance of popularity, unhealthy relationships, and are exposed to pregnancy, STD’s, a lack of self-worth, and low body image. In Media Influence on Teenage Sexuality Is Exaggerated, “It is widely assumed that adolescents' exposure to sexual content in the mass media influences their

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