You may have been surprised yesterday by the report of a new study from this month’s Pediatrics of a clear relationship between teen TV viewing and teen pregnancy. In short, teens who watched highly sexualized TV shows were twice as likely within 3 years to “experience a pregnancy”, as noted by the study’s authors. All the teens in this study were under 20 years of age.
Most people have a sense that TV teens are over sexed. Most people have a sense that teens shouldn’t be watching shows that glamorize youthful sexual relationships. But, those same people are also all too often to think “what’s the harm?” They desperately want to believe their teens will be different and make better choices.
The study’s results make sense given how teens think and act. Given the power of the hormone, TV shows which glamorize sex resonate with teens. Without showing clear consequence such as in movies like Juno or even on One Life To Live where a teen became pregnant following her heart, teens will follow their hormones and impulses and think about the consequences later on.
So, what can we do? A lot! This isn’t a time to point fingers but a time to step back and realize that the blame for this issue extends in and out of the home. Parents and the media all have a role to play in helping teens understand their bodies and emotions and helping them make better decisions so they stay healthy and safe.
The study author’s concur with their conclusion that “(l)imiting adolescent exposure to the sexual content on television and balancing portrayals of sex in the media with information about possible negative consequences might reduce the risk of teen pregnancy. Parents may be able to mitigate the influence of this sexual content by viewing with their children and discussing these depictions of sex.”
So next time your teens sit on the couch to watch TV, plop right next to them. We should all be watching more TV with our teens and helping them make better choices in their media lives, just as we try to in other areas of their lives. We need to be on hand to answer questions if they arise or editorialize if we feel a comment is needed. If nothing else, our teens will get the clear message that we care and want to be involved and that, in the end, may be what keeps them safe and sound more than any other action or study conclusion we can find. And, if all else fails…you still have that parent control on the cable box!
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