Power And Politics

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Sex in the Media is affecting our youth

In order to analyze the effects the sexual media has on youngsters, one must understand social cognitive theory, cultivation theory, and priming theory. These theories provide those who attempt to study the sexual media, the tools needed to uncover the ways in which the sexual media affects our behavior, beliefs, attitudes and emotions.

Through Your Eyes and Into Life: Since the dawning of a new era of people called Generation X, aspects of American popular culture have been altered. The emergence of mass media is one of the most common and most important sources of learning for children and teens. A forefront for all media in this new era is the sexual content that exists. Teenagers and young adults are dressing more lewdly and are engaging in unprotected sex with numerous partners because of the influence of the media.

I believe this is true and our community seems to agree that this is the beginning of irresponsible sex for teens. Joyce Garity, the author of the essay, Is Sex All That Matters? agrees by saying that magazines, Although intended to be mainstream and wholesome, trumpet sexuality page after leering page. Magazines, music videos, television shows, and movies essentially give a message to the viewer that sex to be should be spontaneous and free in order to be fulfilling. As you quickly tap through your television remote on a Sunday afternoon, you come across a few interesting channels that appeal to a vulnerable eye. The most prominent station is a dance video on Music Television. You are lucky because it is the premiere of a new song by some hip-hop group. (Beasley,24)

Usually you do not watch videos, but it is a premiere so you are intrigued. Within a few seconds, the screen changes and the song begins to play. Six sexy women charge the scene like a stampede of wild horses from an old western flick. They enter into your sight wearing shirts that seem to be three sizes too small. The white leather tank tops grip the women s breast so firmly that the cleavage generated is overwhelming.

The faces of these women are layered in makeup to create the look of perfection. Their eyes and smiles seem to gleam straight at you through the television. The seductiveness they express makes you feel like you are the one they desire. Their shorts are just as skimpy as the shirts. They create the longest legs possible on women and give off the perfect package which everyone seems to idolize. This is what is on everyday television throughout the United States. Seventy Five percent of MTV s music videos involve sexual imagery (John, 15).

In looking at these theories, one must consider the type of effect the theory is concerned with, the process that leads to these effects, and the features of the sexual media that enhances these effects. The social cognitive theory, which stems from the observational learning theory, is concerned with explaining behavior. (Comstock,39)

More specifically, in terms of the sexual media, this theory outlines the steps by which a youngster models their own behavior after the sexual media they are exposed to. For example, the number of sexual partners and youngsters chooses to have, the age at which they decide to have sex, or whether or not one chooses to practice safe sex are all behaviors that could possibly be learned or altered through sexual media exposure. There are four steps in the observational learning-attention, retention, production, and motivation. If one is able to carry out all four steps this will lead to matching the behavior exhibited in the sexual media. (Dickerson,39)

The social cognitive view on observational learning "is more concerned with the process involved in the representational guidance of action than with the particular medium by which response information is conveyed. The theory seeks to explain how or why the cognitive processes in our mind take representations of behavior in the sexual media and convert them into behavior.

Learning occurs when a youngster is exposed to modeled events before any responses have been preformed and does not necessarily require intrinsic reward. Not all behavior that and youngsters is exposed to is necessarily modeled. The specific behavior must not only be observed but also retained. The effects on one s behavior due to exposure from sexual media are not automatic. Each step is facilitated by various characteristics of the media content. In order for a teenage viewer to pay attention, the sexual media must be relevant to a young adult's life, dealing with issues they are going through. The content must also be positive emotionally, prevalent, not too complex, accessible and useful.

Furthermore, the teenage viewer must, for example, be able to look at an episode of Sex in the City and be able to perceive the behavior, understand it, relate it to a previous experience, be mildly aroused by it, and finally like it. Therefore, a young teenage boy watching Sex in the City may not give as much attention as a thirty-something woman living in New York because the show would not be as relevant for him. The thirty-something woman will be more likely model the behavior of a character on Sex in the City if that character is attractive and performing an activity that the viewer deems realistic.

The actions must not lead to negative consequences for the character, which will motivate the viewer to model it. Unlike social cognitive theory, cultivation theory is concerned with how the sexual media affects the attitudes and beliefs of the viewer. This theory assumes that television has dominant themes and viewers are passive when they watch television. The process of cultivation is lifelong; the more a viewer continues to watch television the more their beliefs and attitudes will begin to match those present on television. (2003,140)

The effects of cultivation on a viewer are subtle and instrumental. In regards to sexual media, cultivation theory would explain viewer s attitudes on the importance of sex, whether or not one should be in love to have sex, that having sex in relationships is important. These are all examples of beliefs that are shown in the television world. Heavy viewing over long periods of time lead to a mainstreaming of viewers beliefs. Viewer s beliefs begin to match those of the television world at a faster rate if these television views resonate with the viewer.

When the television

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