Posted on 09/07/2004 5:44:38 AM PDT by Pharmboy
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Teenagers who watch a lot of television with sexual content are twice as likely to engage in intercourse than those who watch few such programs, according to a study published on Tuesday.
The study covered 1,792 adolescents aged 12 to 17 who were quizzed on viewing habits and sexual activity and then surveyed again a year later. Both regular and cable television were included.
"This is the strongest evidence yet that the sexual content of television programs encourages adolescents to initiate sexual intercourse and other sexual activities," said Rebecca Collins, a psychologist at the RAND Corp. who headed the study.
"The impact of television viewing is so large that even a moderate shift in the sexual content of adolescent TV watching could have a substantial effect on their sexual behavior," she added.
The study found that youths who watched large amounts of programming with sexual content were also more likely to initiate sexual activities short of intercourse, such as oral sex.
It found that shows where sex was talked about but not depicted had just as much impact as the more explicit shows. "Both affect adolescents' perceptions of what is normal sexual behavior and propels their own sexual behavior," Collins said.
She said the 12-year-olds who watched a lot of sexual content behaved like the 14- or 15-years-olds who watched the least amount. "The advancement in sexual behavior we saw among kids who watched a lot of sexual television was striking."
Her comments were released in a statement in conjunction with publication of the study in the September issue of "Pediatrics," the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The survey did not break down the amount of sexual exposure in terms of hours per week or percentages of material viewed, Collins said in an interview.
It did find that the 10 percent of those who watched the most television with sexual content were twice as likely to have initiated sexual intercourse when checked a year later than adolescents who were among the 10 percent who watched the least amount of sexual content.
"The best way for parents who are trying to figure out what is a lot versus little is to realize that the average (U.S.) child watches about three hours of television a day, and that the heaviest rates of sexual content are in prime time which is probably what those hours are made of," she said.
The report said earlier studies found that about two-thirds of TV entertainment programs contain sexual content, ranging from jokes and innuendo to intercourse and other behaviors.
The study was funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
This really should come as a surprise to no one...
Wow . . . more stop-the-presses information from the Masters of the Obvious. This just in: smoking cigarettes isn't good for you.
bump for wednesday update lead story.
It's up to the parents to monitor what their children watch. Why are 12-year-olds watching shows with heavy sexual content in the first place?
I knew there was a reason I watched Charlie's Angels, Policewoman, Three's Company, etc...
Did you hate it evey week?
Hell, I sure am glad my kids school hands out condoms daily or I might have a problem brewing here.
Well I'll be...
To quote Basil Faulty..."they should be on mastermind...special subject the bleedin' obvious!"
Unless you're ready to stop electricity to the house.
Another reason why I am glad we have had no TV in the house for the last couple of years. 99.99% garbage.
"That's why I ALWAYS have hated Friends: non-stop sexual banter."
Though I always enjoyed Seinfeld, both Jerry and George were boffing a different attractive woman every week, and telling nonstop lies to boot.
"That's why I ALWAYS have hated Friends: non-stop sexual banter. Yecchh.
This really should come as a surprise to no one..."
Thanks for saying it better than I ever could have! 'Friends' had to be one of the dumber shows on the air...and was hugely popular to the young people. And the actors were actually earning $1 million each a week at the end of the series! ALL of which they each gave to various charities supporting the poor and downtrodden.
Al though Seinfeld certainly dealt with sexual content at times, it was by no means non-stop. And, their stuff was clever.
Anything from Reuters doesn't pass the smell test.
Yet another mere coincidence
DUH.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.