An important new study from the Rand Corporation is the first to directly link sexual content on TV to the likelihood of teens getting pregnant or causing a pregnancy. Primary finding from the study published in the journal Pediatrics? Teens who are drowning in sex-saturated TV are twice as likely as their peers who watch little sexy stuff on TV to get pregnant or cause a pregnancy by age 16. So, will turning off the TV prevent teen pregnancy? A few modest thoughts to consider and discuss:
- Research once again has caught up with common sense. Of course TV helps shape the social script for teenagers. We take it as a given, for example, that Hollywood fashion influences what people outside of Hollywood wear, why would it be any different when it comes to teen sexual behavior?
- Don't assume TV is the whole story. The RAND study and others have noted that sexual content on TV has grown over the past 10-15 years. If the influence of TV on teen sexual behavior is so profound and so direct, why might it be that teen sexual behavior has become more responsible over the past 10-15 years, the same time period that sexual content on TV has gotten raunchier and more prevalent? Put another way, teen sexual activity, pregnancy, and birth rates have all declined dramatically during the Lohan, Spears administration.
- Media influence versus other influences. Ponder this...the influence of media probably grows as other important influences in a teens' life wanes. On the job parents, for example, can do much to help teens interpret what teens see, read, and hear.
- Turn that crap off is not an effective parenting strategy. The National Campaign has long encouraged parents to use what is on television---both good and bad---as a conversation-starter. Parents should...gasp...sit down with their teens, watch shows that their children want to watch, and discuss what they have seen. "Do you think that was a responsible decision Dick?" Do you think she was really ready to have sex Jane?" "Is that what a respectful relationship looks like Sue?" "Why didn't that character discuss contraception Tom?"
- Show us more consequences. National Campaign public opinion polls make clear that teens (76%) and adults (72%) want the media to focus more on the consequences of sex.
- TV isn't the only influence. For those alarmed by the findings of this report, here is something else to fret about. The RAND report only studied the influence of TV, not other mediums that teens consume in vast quantities...think text messaging, social networks, music, etc.
More fatuous nonsense from scientific illiterates who don't understand 'cause' and 'effect'.
People who drink wine often live longer than those who don't. But if you are a teetotaller, just picking up a glass everyday will not make you live longer.
It is more complicated than that - many wine drinkers have lifestyles which are healthier, involve a better diet, more exercise and a greater level of affluence.
It is also like those articles about the life expectancy of different cities.
Just moving from one to another may make not a jot of difference to a single individuals health and length of life.
Just as banning TV may not make a scrap of difference to people whose values and moral compass may be different to your own.
But that just wouldn't give you the same kick of moral outrage and "Let's beat up on the media because they are the source of all our problems".
There is a complex issue here about the lifestyles, advertising, magazines and music which young people are exposed to - but simplistic blamestorming tosh like this is not the answer.
"Turn that crap off is not an effective parenting strategy." But it is a great tactic! A first step.
Throwing the TV out in the street isn't going to magically eliminate all the unwanted pregnancies in our country, but if parents were at least willing to think about the images coming into their home. Do they fit our hope and dreams for them? Do they fit our moral beliefs? Are they real? If parents would give some thought and then decide if a conversation is in order, or maybe elimination.
We recently had a conversation with our college senior who told us that we "were right to keep out MTV." (We had lied and told her that we didn't get it, but later, when she learned differently had a conversation about how we disagreed with the depiction of women.)
We still have our TV, and have engaged in a lot of conversations--but we missed a lot of shows for the sake of our children. And it really doesn't feel like that big a price to pay!
I agree that this is a good first step. A first step on a long journey!
Dear Mr. Albert,
I respectfully submit that your post is entirely unhelpful to the multi-pronged, multi-faceted approach that must be taken to tackle this monstrous problem. Saying that it is not the only solution is not the point - the fact that it can be part of the solution is enough. Yes there are lots of other influences etc, and kids who do watch sex on tv may be inclined to early sex anyway but from a kid's perspective, there are many normal kids out there who don't go looking for porn on tv, music, through friends, but are curiously bombarded with sexual content if they stay up past 9 pm. No kid sleeps at 9 these days - this is one of the causes of the problem and we must address it. If people are too selfish to take their sexual enjoyment off the tube, well societal detriment is what they're going to have to deal with. (See the rest of the world that doesn't have such high teen pregnancy rates and what's on their tvs. - culture reflects practice reflects consequences).
For anyone who supports me in my position, I am launching a campaign in the UK to address this very issue. Please email me at pregnancy.media@googlemail.com for your thoughts, comments and suggestions.
Yours sincerely,
Stephanie Tang
Cambridge University, UK
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