Teen Sex and the Media

Teen Sex and the Media

“Rap It Up”, a familiar phrase heard all too often in today’s very influencing media sources. In today’s society teen sex is becoming an issue because of this misleading phrase. Many companies try to decrease the percentages of teen pregnancy and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases through promotion of protected sex but also forget to include the possible “accidents” that may occur while having “safe sex”. When these percentages are presented it is not out of the ordinary for one question to be presented: “Whose fault is it anyway”? It is the popular opinion of others that since the media is the most influential source for teens today then they should promote the idea of putting a stop to teen sex in general, and what better way than the idea of Abstinence. Rather than the continuous advertising of the use of condoms and “safe sex”, the media should encourage and advertise the idea of abstinence to insure a decrease in the percentages of teen pregnancy, the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, and other negative outcomes.

In today’s culture sex is becoming increasingly vulgar and being presented in its rawest forms. From videos to commercials sex is always a present factor and it is not just a coincidence that as sex is becoming less exclusive the percentages of teen sex are increasing. In an article published in The American Decades it is expressed how sex and the media is becoming a controversial issue with no clear ending ahead. “Television was naturally far tamer in its use of sex, but it did use sex in a manner far more suggestive than it had before, prompting concerned citizens and lawmakers to criticize the amount of sex (along with violence) on the small screen. Their protests were usually in vain” (Harris-fain). As people continue to try and stop sex from being expressed in the media the fact still remains: people should try and use the media as a form of advertising abstinence rather than eliminating the problem in general.

With no clear solution ahead imagine this. A young girl decides to engage in sex fully aware of the consequences and how to have safe sex, yet she is not aware of the possible dangers of having safe sex and a better and safer option called abstinence. Some do not know that even the use of condoms and birth control has its limitations and possible defects. “The Pill is 92-99.7% effective as birth control. It does not protect against reproductive tract infections, including HIV/AIDS” (Guttmacher).Without the continuous advertising of abstinence, as much as the advertising of safe sex, many teens will remain uninformed and think sex is okay as long as it is safe.

Parents and other “in command” figures believe as long as a child is kept on a tight leash then they have nothing to worry about, unaware of the explicit content that is viewed everyday by teens everywhere. The Gluttmacher institute released an article explaining the failed attempts, “Parents and other adults have long tried to influence and control the sexual behavior of adolescents, especially young women, through admonitions, curfews, and limitations on dating. All usually has little effect” (Gluttmacher). Sex is not just a decision or factor that is just made by a teen and many fail to realize that it is encouraged