Teenage Sexuality and Media Practice: Factoring in the Influences of Family, Friends, and School - Statistical Data Included

Journal of Sex Research, Nov, 1999 by Jeanne Rogge Steele

Typical adolescents interact with media all day long. They wake up to the radio, talk with friends at school about yesterday's episode of their favorite TV show, and then flip through TV channels or the latest issue of their favorite magazine while relaxing after school. Teens' selectivity in making media choices (Selection), their creative interpretations of media content (Interaction), and the varied ways they actively use media in their everyday lives (Application) are the essential elements of media practice. But rather than focus on these moments of practice, this analysis considers how teens' media practices intersect with other major influences on teen sexuality--namely those of the family, friends, and school--through social relations. Data presented were generated in 1995.

RESULTS

Identity and Lived Experience

A primary challenge of adolescence is self-definition (Erikson, 1959). Teens work at defining the "real me," including the "sexual me," as they prepare for entry into the adult world. Whereas 50 years ago a teen's family, friends, school, and church probably were the primary influences on his or her attitudes, values, and beliefs about sexuality, today's teens have access to a fifth powerful influence--the ubiquitous mass media. Reaching worldwide, the media bring teens compelling images of sexuality that range from the predictability of a television soap opera or country-western ballad to the unpredictability of an independent filmmaker or recording artist. These media windows on the world (Lippmann, 1922) are part of teens' Lived Experience.

Selection. Not unlike adults at social functions, teens look for people or situations "like them" in the media. When they find people or story lines that resonate with their lives, they pay attention. For example, the everyday challenges of being a teenager sparked Lindsey's (14, White, Anderson Middle School student) interest in the television show, My So Called Life.

   Well, it's my only favorite show ... I like it because it is about a 15
   year old girl and her life. It tells her thoughts and feelings about
   things. She has problems like most teenagers do. She is faced with guns,
   violence, drinking, drugs, sex, and school. It is a good show because it is
   so close in relation to teens nowadays. It shows good ways to handle our
   problems and fears.(4)

The "credibility factor" was a standard many teens applied to media content. For example, Tenita (16, Black, Teen Mother) wrote in her journal that she liked to watch soap operas.

   Their always someone fallin' in love or havin' a baby. Soap Operas' is
   nothing like everyday life. Their relationships are so fairy tale like they
   get divorce and get back together. That doesn't happen much in everyday
   life. Sex on the other hand is about like everyday life. They have sex a
   lot and it is so romantic. I like to watch soap opera's, even though I
   can't see them since I am in school.(5)

Even though she recognized the fairy tale nature of soap opera story lines, Tenita was unable to apply the same critical standard to soap sex. Did this view of sex as romantic make it easier for her to have intercourse at age 14 with a guy she hardly knew who was five years her senior?