what do you guys think?

[rainbowtrout]

article: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/31/health/31brod.html?8hpib


So, I was interested to see that someone went through and did at least a vaguely "scientific" analysis of this phenomenon--although frankly sociological studies are always a tad suspect...
On the other hand, part of me wonders if the reason teens are sexually active is because that is when humans have the most hormones raging through them and have evolved to be the most active...I believe health wise it is best for the body to bear children late teens, early twenties.

Now, take note I am not saying our culture is set up for this to be the healthy choice for teens and young adults.

I am curious what you guys think, especially young PSers and those with children: does the media change how children approach sex? are people really more sexually active than they were in the 50s?

And most importantly, what should or shouldn''t be done to change this?

One topic I noticed the article did not address was sex education in high schools and its effect on health. However the article was about media so I suppose that would have been OT.

 

[monarch64]

Interesting article, Rainbow. I''m 28 with no children yet, and as I was reading I was remembering how my parents used to make me leave the room when they rented a movie and any sex scenes or things they thought were inappropriate for me to view came on. I wasn''t allowed to see film with an ''R'' rating until I was 16. I also grew up on a 65 acre farm, and with only 1 television, a Commodore 64 computer, and an Odyssey game system, you better believe I was finding things to do outside instead of watching movies with my parents anyway! Jeez, I am starting to feel old. Now I know what people mean when they say they are "dating" themselves!

I have also noticed when watching regular t.v. channels that the programs seems to include way more sexual content than when I was a kid. But when I think about it, one of my favorite shows growing up was "Three''s Company" and when I watch re-runs now I can''t believe how many sexual innuendos there were on that show! I just remember as a kid thinking Crissy and Janet were so pretty and Jack was just a hilarious goofball!

You make a valid point about humans being at the top of their reproductive health from puberty through their twenties. However, just because our bodies are capable of things doesn''t mean we are emotionally or mentally mature enough to handle the consequences. Which brings me to the thought that in so many ways, Americans (and other conservative cultures, but let me pick on Americans and stick with that for consistency''s sake) have passed down Puritanical beliefs and values that lead us to feel like sex and expressing one''s sexuality is socially unacceptable, morally wrong, and could somehow lead to the demise of our society. It''s always bothered me that a woman who chooses to explore her sexuality and act upon her desires is considered a "slut" in most circles, while men are, for the most part, are applauded for having many sexual encounters and laughed at if they have few or none ("The 40 Year Old Virgin" comes to mind).

To give my opinion on your questions (speaking from a D.I.N.K. POV): I do think the media has an influence on young people''s approach to sex, in that they are so bombarded with sex in the media while being taught that "nice kids" don''t engage in that type of activity, that a lot of confusion is created with these mixed messages. I also think that yes, people probably are more sexually active since the creation of the Pill, the Feminism movement, more sex-education both in schools and through public forums (not necessarily Internet-related), etc.

Finally, I would like to say that I personally would never blame the media for sexual behavior. Yes, I think it could contribute to deviation from what some consider "normal," but I believe when you have children it is your personal responsibility to educate them, give them boundaries, and make sure they know they are also personally accountable for their actions. I believe in freedom of speech and censorship is a four letter word to me...the most obvious change to me that needs to take place is humans deciding to have children because they have children''s best interests in mind and not their own, and that those parents work hard to educate their kids so that their are prepared to deal with choices and consequences.

Sorry for giving you the book form of my opinion--there are so many different issues at heart here I could go on and on!