Better left in private

Better left in private

Riley Carroll, Art Director

Sex. If I tried to print this one word a couple of decades ago people would have viewed it as untasteful and simply unacceptable, but now it’s a word that is constantly sprinkled throughout the media, pulling audiences in, rather than turning them away. This shift in leniency is a shift in the wrong direction.

In an age where teens are constantly bombarded with messages from the media, one important message that should not be pushed on today’s youth is that sex is inconsequential, however TV shows such as “Gossip Girl” and “Jersey Shore” portray it exactly as that.

The media’s attitude toward sex has been growing increasingly more provocative and, frankly, inappropriate. Simply flipping through TV channels, from ABC to HBO, I can stumble upon a variety of shows and movies that feature some sort of sexual content, granting me an all access pass to the unsavory side of television. This allows teenagers to be susceptible to ridiculous content, whether it be a scene from “Jersey Shore” that blatantly broadcasts its support of random hook ups or a scene glorifying drunken teenage sex in “Gossip Girl.”

Not only does the media applaud sex, but it disregards and often completely ignores the more important consequences at play when it comes to sexual activity as a teen. Media often downplays the role that sex has in a relationship, making it an act of necessity rather than an act of love. Television directed towards teenagers may advertise sex as the next step in a teenage relationship after a certain period of time not even considering the concept of building a stronger relationship before getting physical. The media may not be forcing teenagers to have sex, but it is pressuring them to do so.

More often than not, characters claim that they’re not ready for sex, but give in regardless. What kind of example is this setting for today’s youth? That they should make a major personal decision, just so they can fit in?

Let me tell you, sex is not a necessity; it is a choice, and the media does not advertise it as such. Rather than getting information from fiction, many teens should look to more credible models. I grew up learning that I have the ability to make the choice of whether or not I want to open myself up to all the consequences that may come from having sex, and it is just that: my choice, not to be influenced by outside sources.

Sex should not be something that is done because it looks like it’s cool on TV or because a movie depicts it as the only way to mend a broken relationship. The act of sex is something that must be taken seriously, because this one choice can lead to serious consequences that are not often put on screen. By avoiding the tough topics, such as STDs and unplanned pregnancy, the media continues to spin a story that hails sex as an essential part of high school, when, in reality very few teenagers would be able to handle such major ramifications as those that sexual activity presents.

It is the nature of teenagers to be curious about sex, but if we are receiving our information from the fictional stories created by the media, we will learn little of substance and truth. Media’s changing methods of dealing with sex are going down the entirely wrong path. Rather than trying to devalue the seriousness of the act, the media should stop its discussion of sex altogether and leave this personal step to be interpreted and decided in private.