Sexual Behavior Affected by Media Usage

One of the topics my husband and I disagree about when it comes to our children is whether or not we will allow them to have a television and/or computer in their room. I want a community television and computer so that as the kids get older, we are allowed more of a chance to spend family time together instead of one or both of them being locked away in their rooms playing video games or watching television. My husband wants the kids to have their own television and computer in their room because that is the way he grew up. I may have to show him the results from a new finding published in a June 2009 issue of JAMA which states that kids that have easy access to various forms of media that offer a wide variant of topics have an increased risk of developing negative attitudes towards drugs, sexual activities and eating disorders.

These new findings were presented by Victor Strasburger from the University of New Mexico School of Medicine in Albuquerque. According to Strasburger, the average adolescent spends a little more than six hours each day utilizing some type of media; this is more than the average student spends in a classroom setting. To top it off, youth in the United States have more access to media outlets than many other countries. For example, approximately 66% have a television in their bedrooms, over 50% have a gaming system and/or a DVD or VCR, and around 33% have access to the internet through their computers; this makes it nearly impossible for parents to adequately monitor their children’s use of these various media types.

Dr. Strasburger states, “The media are not the leading cause of any pediatric health problem in the United States, but they do make a substantial contribution to many health problems.” In his research he highlights violence, sex, obesity, drugs and eating disorders. In terms of sex, there have been many studies that demonstrate that exposing a youngster’s mind to sexual situations could lead to a teenager having sexual relations at an early age. While television programs would provide a very important and accessible area where birth control could be discussed and mentioned, there have been reports of the major networks not wanting to devote much time to commercials for contraceptives. This is very strange considering a lot of time on television programs has been devoted to countless sexual situations and encounters. In his research, Dr. Strasburgers urges networks to reconsider their stance and add more advertising of contraceptives to their nightly lineups.

Teachers, parents and doctors should be educated about these pressing issues so they can, in turn, educated the youth. Strasburgers states, “Parents have to change the way their children access the media—not permitting TV sets or Internet connections in the child’s bedroom, limiting entertainment screen time to less than 2 hours per day, and co-viewing with their children and adolescents. Research has shown that media effects are magnified significantly when there is a TV set in the child’s or adolescent’s bedroom.” Strasburger is quick to add that media can definitely be used for good and positive measures like promoting tolerance and empathy and teaching children about historical events. He goes on to say, “The media are a powerful teacher of children and adolescents—the only question is what are they learning and how can it be modified? When children and adolescents spend more time with media than they do in school or in any leisure-time activity except for sleeping, much closer attention should be paid to the influence media has on them.”