Sex on TV Impacts Young Viewers

Science shows the influence of TV sex on children. Dozens of scientific studies have shown a correlation between children watching sexually-charged TV content, and having sex at an earlier age, says Dr. Kirstie Farrar, Associate Professor of Communications at the U. of Connecticut. The sexual content doesn’t necessarily have to be explicit. Simply being exposed to sex talk on TV can have an influence, says Farrar. “The notion of the message being ‘everybody’s doing it’ is what’s really important. And what’s problematic is that you don’t see a lot of safe-sex messages or responsible relationships modeled in the media.” Farrar also warns of the harmful effects of sexual violence, saying “Research shows that when you pair aggression with sexual stimulation — as you see in porn and slasher pics — people can become very desensitized to those portrayals,” Farrar says. Read more: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/05/130520163904.htm