It is not a secret that today’s society has a huge influence on our daily lives. Whether it is what we wear, what music we listen to, or the most controversial our sex lives. Teens today are exposed to sexual behavior whether they know it or not; such as music videos, commercials, movies, television and social media, but this is a good thing because it makes them aware of their body and are able to know the consequences if they are to take sex for granted. Sex should not be an embarrassing topic to be talked about which is why society has made it an everyday topic as it should be.
Television is a huge way that society has made sex an every day topic in a teen’s life. A network that has emphasized safe sex is the MTV network; with its hit show 16 and pregnant. The show gives teens a look into the world of how it would be if they decided to have unprotected sex, and have to juggle a baby along with school. For some this show is a wake up call and it makes teens more aware of how their life would be if they were to have a baby at such a young age. Many teens believe that they are invincible and that something as big as becoming pregnant will never happen to them, but this show is showing them that they are not invincible and that this can happen to any one no matter how careful they are. This show is a gateway of having teens be more open with their partners about ways that they can be careful, and to really think about the cons about having sex. It is also a gateway for parents and teens to be more open about sex and not have it be a secret of course it will not be a topic at the dinner table but it lets the parents and their children become more aware of the topic. Also at the end of every show they give out a website called www.it...
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...t the consequences. In society sex sells, and as long as some one is making money that is the only thing they will keep glamorizing and never revealing the true consequence of unsafe sex. Society should stick to making celebrities famous, and let teen’s sexuality in the hands of the parents and the school system.
In a time where everything society does influences us sex should be a view that should be spoken about without any embarrassment. Sex should not be something that gets pushed to the side, but it should be something that is more openly discussed about. There are to many teens out there that have no idea how to properly put on a condom, or many girls who have no idea what birth control to take with the only way for teens to get the full picture about sex is to have our society give them a push and lead them to plenty of resources online, and on television.
16 & Pregnant is a TV show aired on MTV that as the name suggests, focuses on the lives of various teens who are pregnant whilst still in high school; each tells a different story. In these episodes, viewers are able to observe the struggles these teens face as a result of pregnancy during pubescent development. Controversy has been made as a result of the release of this show; this left viewers torn between whether 16 & Pregnant discourages teen pregnancy or shrouds it within curiosity. There is more than sufficient evidence to say that 16 & Pregnant, does in fact discourage teen pregnancy for various reasons. According to the New York Times report, the National Bureau of Economic Research compared Nielsen television ratings to birth records, and concluded that in areas where teens viewed MTV more after the debut of 16 & Pregnant, there was a rapid decline of teen pregnancy rates when compared to other areas that viewed it less frequently although some believe the show glamorizes the subject matter. Some also believe that it encourages the teens to disrespect their parents in every way possible; quite to the contrary, watching 16 & Pregnant is very beneficial to discouraging teen pregnancy and family problems by displaying the hardships these teens face, teaching the importance of completing high school and encouraging viewers to use various contraceptives methods or practice abstinence.
Today’s young Americans face strong peer pressure to be sexually active and engage themselves in risky behaviors (Merino 100-109). Anyone deciding to have sex must first think about all the risks involved. Kekla Magoon, author of Sex Education in Schools, says that “half of all teens aged 15 to 19 years old in the United States have had sex” (Magoon 64-65). It is currently not required by federal law for schools to teach Sex education and those few schools that do teach Sex education have the decision to determine how much information is allowed. Advocates from both sides of the Sex education debate agree that teens need positive influences in order to make practical decisions (Magoon 88-89). Opponents of Abstinence-only education believe it fails because it does not prepare teens for all the risks of sex (Magoon 64-65).
...e their favorite stars earning notoriety for their active sex drives. Imagine the effect that would have on society and look at the ways it already has affected the behavior of children in modern-day society. Protect the future leaders of tomorrow by keeping them well-informed today. According to Quindlen, the fight to educate our children may begin with sex education classes but it ends at home with the parents.
...e has their own personal opinions in which they are entitled to, but that doesn’t mean that we should turn our backs on our youth because we are afraid or prefer to avoid talking about sex. As a society we need to stop viewing sex as a something negative or wrong and start educating ourselves on safe sex practices. It is our responsibility as a society to help guide our children, not to stand by and watch them destroy their futures. Even if certain religious beliefs teach not having sex prior to marriage it is still wise be educated on the facts. Knowledge is power and being taught sex education could prevent adolescents from being blindsided with an unwanted pregnancy or a disease they didn’t even know existed. It all comes down to choice in the end and we must stand up and unite on the issue of teaching safe sex to our youth, in order to ensure a better future.
Technology, cell phones, and social media are partially to blame; destroying our communication skills, but parents are still responsible for their children’s knowledge. With lack of communication between parent and child, children are going into relationships, or what they think are relationships without knowing as much as they should about intimacy. One solution to teen pregnancy is better communication to children, especially teens about sex, and the risks that come with it. Giving teens more information on STD’s would also help the situation. If teens knew more about the risks of disease due to sex, they would be less likely to take part in such actions, therefore reducing pregnancy in the teen age frame. If teen girls knew more about the risk of pregnancy, they would be more attentive to situations they are getting into with boys. Girls understand that pregnancy is a long process. What girls don’t understand, is the risk of pregnancy caused by sex, and how strenuous and difficult a pregnancy can be. If girls (and boys) were more educated on the risks that are tied to sex, there would be less sexual activity in teens; therefore, there would be a decrease in teen
Communication: A Series of National Surveys of Teens about Sex. Menlo Park, CA: Henry J. Kaiser
There is no doubt that the modern television shows have too much sexual content, which could have bad influence on youngsters. There is no way that the sexual content could be removed or reduced, but with providing more health information it could help many young people make the right choice, which in some case may be life-saving.
The reality that must be faced is that teenagers will continue to be sexually active notwithstanding any risk or consequences. Whether it is because they’re uninformed, “in love,” hormonal, bored, or looking for approval
The media is one contributor to teen pregnancy. The star of Zoey 101, Jamie Lynn Spears, became pregnant when she was only 16. Parents were shocked to find out that the girl they once thought was a good role model for their young teens was actually not (Teen Pregnancy). Singers like Rihanna, and rappers like Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj sing about extreme sexual acts, and parents allow their teens to listen to the music. Some stars who have been known to dress and dance promiscuously have supported abstinence such as, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, and Jordan Sparks (Teen Pregnancy). The Jonas Brothers even took virginity pledges in their teens, but with these celebrities promiscuous ways it often contradicts their support (Teen
A study conducted on teens in Sweden and the Netherlands showed that teens in those countries were just as sexually active, but the teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease rate was much lower. Researchers say this is due to sex education that begins in elementary school and continues on(Bender p.13). Only ten percent of American school-age youth participate in a comprehensive program lasting at least forty hours(deMauro p.89). Teens in America also score low on questionnaires based on sexual knowledge(Gordon p.
In society today, teens are taught by the television and the media that pre-marital sex is not a bad thing. This problem is leading to many teenage pregnancies, that then lead to abortion. All over the world teens are faced with many challenges in their everyday lives. Sex is being portrayed as extremely appealing in the media, but what they don't show is the pregnancies and the unborn child that never asked to be created in the first place that is being discarded. Abortion is in no way acceptable, it is murder of an unborn child.
Having comprehensive sex education in the schools gives teens safe place to discuss these issues in fact it has been shown that. Seeing that some teens are shy about asking the important questions from their parents, and the parents themselves are not always comfortable or brave enough to answer these questions which can be harmful the child. Having this be taught at the schools wil...
The glamorous side of sex is everywhere; music, tv shows, movies and social media. To a mature adult, it is easy to ignore the sexual messages in those outlets. However, to a teenager, going through mental and physical changes and peer pressure, it is extremely easy to fall for what is shown to “cool.” Everyone has fallen for half truths to be cool in their teenage life. It just so happens that teen pregnancies and STDs are not one of those things that one can simply walk away from. Babies and STDs leave a lasting effect on everyone involved. The National Conference of State Legislatures states:
In conclusion teen pregnancy has hard an effect on society, in many ways. Most teen pregnancies were not planned. CFOS says that about 65% of teen pregnancy's were not even discussed with their sexual partners. All of the other percentage of teen pregnancy's were not planned either, but it had been discussed with the teen's sexual partner at some point in time. Most teens began having sex without knowing the consequences. Teenagers need to take responsibility and remember to keep safe, because there are various ways to prevent teen pregnancy, for example abstinence, sex education, and various types of birth control; because these methods are available children should not be brought into this world mistakenly.
“The media may be especially important for young people as they are developing their own sexual beliefs and patterns of behavior and as parents and schools remain reluctant to discuss sexual topics (p.26)”.