The Effects of Sexually Explicit Media Content on Adolescents and Some Intervention Methods

Abstract

Adolescents spend most of their time with media. Media broadcasts such as television, movies, internet and music clips frequently include some degree of sexually explicit content. Exposure to these kind of sexual content in media may lead to early sexual intercourse, risky sexual behavior, adolescent pregnancy, alcohol and cigarette consumption, stereotypes about sexuality, acceptance of rape myths and the increase of positive expectancies about sexuality. There are several intervention methods to prevent adolescents from these negative effects. Some of these methods are parental mediation, use of mediarating systems, and media literacy education. Studies show that restrictive parental mediation prevents adolescents from the negative effects of sexual content in media to some degree. Media-rating systems seem useful for the parents but they may lead to forbidden fruit effect on adolescents. However, media literacy education on sexual content in media has a very clear and positive effect in the prevention. Adolescents in Turkey may also be exposed to sexually explicit content through various ways like internet or television. When this situation is considered, presenting information about the effects of sexually explicit content in media and some intervention methods about it may be beneficial. With this review, it is expected to present some information and recommendations to the politicians, parents and researchers.

Keywords

• media
• sexual content in media
• sexual behavior
• stereotype
• expectancies