Media May Prompt Teen Sex

[imported_rachel]

http://www.webmd.com/content/article/120/113879.htm
Teens Exposed to the Most Sexy Media Images More Likely to Have Sex
By Jennifer Warner
WebMD Medical News Reviewed By Louise Chang, MD
on Monday, April 03, 2006

April 3, 2006 -- Teens who see and hear a lot about sex in the media may be more than twice as likely to have early sexual intercourse as those who are rarely exposed to sexual content....

researchers say one of the strongest protective factors was parental attitudes about sex.

Both black and white teenagers were less likely to have sexual intercourse by the time they were 16 if they reported that their parents did not approve of them having sex at this age.


In a related note, witnessing a few "they're going to do it anyway, so I give them protection" parents-- well... they did exactly as their parent(s) expected. I guess parental expectations do go a long way.

[stephwhiz]

I have a friend that her daughter found out earlier this week that she is pregnant. She is 15 years old, will be 16 in two weeks. Her mom had her on birth control at 13 but the daughter didn't like taking it so she went off of it. She has been exually active with several boys (and men!). This whole situation just breaks my heart! The family started going to church a couple of years ago and had rededicated their lives to God. Going to church didn't last long and they slipped back into their ways of having extra marital affairs (both spouse did this). In my opinion these parents put her on bc to avoid the "real issue" and to put a "band-Aid" over the problem. Now they are going to build a room onto their trailer so that the girl and her boyfriend (who is 18) can live there with the baby. They may get married later and they may not. I think all of this can be attributed back to the facts of this article and that TV portrays sex as something everyone does and they promote premarital sex. I know as a parent that I have my work ahead of me and it is my responsiblity to teach my children respect for their bodies and for others.

[rocking baby]

Even young kids are able to see alot of nudity and sex in cartoons...like disney having hidden pictures and sublimal messages...on aladin..when he is on her balcony if u turn up the volume before she comes out..he says "good teenagers take off their clothes"..and them spelling out sex in the clouds and bubbles..

[mamaroo]

Rocking Baby that is really freaky. I find that subliminal stuff very disturbing, but its likely everywhere.

[gen]

Im gonna check that out! I dont have the dvd but my friend does.

Back to the main topic...

Wow! I wouldnt have guessed! I thought it was perfectly safe and normal for teens to be exposed to sex and given condoms. I thought that would have stopped them honestly! [whatheadagainstthewall] .

It was 90210 when I was a teen now its so much worse. Its disgusting. Even programs geared at 6 to 11 y/o's. One where a girl about 9 was swinging around a bed post saying to her friend 'Do you know what Im doing? Its called pole dancing.' and they both giggle.

Tv is easy and ok for 0-5yo age range. But after that it gets tricky.

[mama4ever]

What about the commercials they are worst then some of the shows!

We now mute the commercials when they are on. I was watching this show and it was not yet 10pm and this commercial about Sex and the City comes on and there is all these stupid looking grins on the housewives faces like they are in a daze....and it says you are proably wondering why all these people are so happy? They had sex twice tonight....Sex in the City that is!

I was so glad my 13 and 9 year old weren't home :oops:

It is everywhere TV shows, movies and advertising in mags. It makes them think they are missing something.

We are in a sad place!
But I believe parents can make a difference with some kids. I have a 24 year son and it dosen't faze him what we think. Our other 2 children are 13 and 9 and they still care very much how we feel about how they should act.

[angel]

[imported_rachel]

Up here, well, if anything is modified or rejected by the.. what are they called? The agency in the US that watches the media and enforces "some" boundaries?
Well, if they take action it's almost a sure bet it'll come to Canada unedited, or as they will say, "uncensored"!

One that had to be censored in the US actually premiers "uncensored" here tonight, I think, at 8 or 9(!) and I'm sure the average age of viewers will be 17 or something like it. Our "networks," some of them have soft porn on at night! Not hbo, but actual networks that are more like cbs, nbc, etc.

tvs are like weird uncles sometimes. Need an eye kept on it (him) with so many perverse shows, or maybe it (he) needs to be banned from family gatherings alltogether.

[JoyLynn]

Our kids have not been brought up on much t.v. We have a bottomless budget for books and buy seasons of sitcoms from the past on dvd, like Little House, I love Lucy, Dick Van Dyke, etc... I have asked the kids from time to time if they want to try and find something to watch on t.v. and they always say "No, thank you!" They say there's only junk on and they're offended by it. Having not been exposed to all the crap they just never got used to it and just don't like it. Thank you, Lord!! [prayer]

Joy [welcomewave]

[mommyb]

Our kids have not been brought up on much t.v. We have a bottomless budged for books and buy seasons of sitcoms from the past on dvd, like Little House, I love Lucy, Dick Van Dyke, etc... I have asked the kids from time to time if they want to try and find something to watch on t.v. and they always say "No, thank you!" They say there's only junk on and they're offended by it. Having not been exposed to all the crap they just never got used to it and just don't like it. Thank you, Lord!! [prayer]

Joy [welcomewave]

Wow that's great! Unfortunately are dd seems addicted to T.V. (and she's only 4!)! I think it happened when she was little and I was going to college and practically raising her myself and I was always so tired. I used to let her watch T.V. so I could rest. Not too long ago, I threatened to take the T.V. out of her room and she threw a fit! She got a spanking and eventually cried herself to sleep HOLDING THE T.V. (hands on either side of the screen)! Any suggestions to get her unhooked?

[JoyLynn]

Hi, Breanne. Great videos are a good place to start. If she has a cable wire, you can disconnect it. t.v. becomes a habit and habits can be broken. Especially at four. Most of us mommies know how it is to use t.v. as a babysitter and I don't think that's always a bad thing. Everything in moderation.

Good programming is most important. I have noticed that now that my kids are used to not watching regular t.v., they don't even think of it. I hope that never changes cuz I think t.v. will get nothing but worse. Your dd may be upset for a while, but if this is important to you just hang in there and stick to your guns. I'm sure she's amazingly creative and imaginitive. She'll definitely get over it and find something better to do.

Endless supplies of age appropriate art supplies (that don't require your involvement) is one great way to keep them busy. Also, tons of books. And building toys (tinker toys, lincoln logs, leggos, connects). Lite Brite is fun. btw... I always cleared the top shelf of our kids closets and arranged these kinds of toys and puzzles on the shelf so the kids could see them but not reach them. They would "shop" for what they wanted to play with next and need me to get them down for them. You don't take another down until the last one is cleaned up. Keeps sorting down to a complete minimum.

Leggos, coloring, or lite brite in front of a fun (hopefully educational, even Biblical) video is sure to keep any kid busy. Our kids would seldom sit and watch. They'd just listen while they played. That's why I loved Christian movies best.

Okay, nuf words from me. Hope some of this will be useful to you. You aren't alone in the t.v. battle.

Love,

Joy [welcomewave]

[BigChill]

TV and entertainment provide all sorts of problems - I look at some of the stuff I flip through on channels like MTV and am just shocked when I think of what was on when I was a kid.

I think honesty and education is the best route to take with a kid, you can't control what they watch at other kids houses, or see when they're out of your care - banning that sort of thing will only make it more like a forbidden fruit. (Kids I know with no TVs growing up ONLY wanted to watch TV when they came over!). Like all things, moderation and education!

[BlessedMommy]

I agree that TV is just a habit. It can be learned or unlearned. If I'm around it, I can get glued to it. If it's not around, I don't miss it. My DH and I don't own a TV. If we ever get one I'm going to try to make sure that none of the channels work, so that we can use it for videos only. When I was growing up, for a long time we had no TV, and then when we got one, only maybe 1-3 of the channels worked, so we never got addicted to it.

[mamallama]

I sometimes wish we didn't have tv. But we are in a catch 22 situation. We want to keep our cable internet and here you can only have cable internet if you have cable tv as well. I really don't like that. The only tv we watch is PBS for Gracie's cartoons but sometimes I feel like she watches that too much as well. She loves watching videos and movies too.

She has a wonderful imagination and I love to see her play with her Barbies or coloring or pretend play with her toys. I just wish she wanted to do that more. Her baby brother is not old enough to play with her yet. She gets bored easily playing by herself. (Don't know where she got that from? Daddy, I guess. I remember playing for hours by myself as a kid.) So if I can't get her interested in something (as in sit down with her) she would just rather watch a movie or cartoons. I may just have to get creative and start setting a tv limit. And like you say, Joy, just stick to my guns. I'd really like to ween Gracie away from so much tv even though it is just cartoons and kid movies.

[mamallama]

Even young kids are able to see alot of nudity and sex in cartoons...like disney having hidden pictures and sublimal messages...on aladin..when he is on her balcony if u turn up the volume before she comes out..he says "good teenagers take off their clothes"..and them spelling out sex in the clouds and bubbles..

Oh and DH and I read somewhere about The Little Mermaid (not the newer version that is about to be released) has a place in the movie where the priest that married the Prince and Ariel has a er, um what's a good way to say it?? Well, he has something sticking out and it is not his knobby knees sticking out from his gown. :shock: It's true! We went back and paused our movie and saw it!!