Johnson and Johnson's gets Clean and Clear-er

Johnson and Johnson’s Clean and Clear skin care recently began the #SeeTheRealMe campaign, which is a series of videos that shares the lives of people around the world as they come of age.   The campaign’s most recent face is Jazz, who is a transgender 14-year-old, who tells her story of growing up and coming to terms with the fact that she was “a girl trapped in a boy’s body.”  She even discusses the unwelcoming comments she received from her peers, such has people referring to her as an “it.”  In the Clean & Clear video, she explains that she recently decided to embrace who she was, by making new friends and hanging out with other girls.  Jazz explains, “The real me is happy and proud to be who I am. And I’m just having fun being one of the girls.”

This campaign, and especially this video of the campaign reminded me of the reading from class titled, Information-Seeking Practices during the Sexual Development of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Individuals: The Influence and Effects of Coming out in a Mediated Environment.  This article studied how self-identifying lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals used media during their “coming out” process, as well as the effects of this media use.  This study found that the Internet played a crucial role in the development of these identities. 

Although Jazz does not identify as LGB, she does identify as transgender, which also consists of a “coming out” process that forces an individual to go against the norm and face adversity.  This process can be challenging for any individual, and Clean and Clear’s campaign aspires to assist an individual that may be in similar shoes as Jazz.  In this sense, the Internet and media, as discussed in our class reading, are often resources to assist individuals in their coming of age.  Clean and Clear’s campaign may potentially be a huge factor in letting other transgender individuals know that they are not alone.

I also think it is important to mention the risk that Johnson and Johnson’s took with this video in the sense that they may lose consumers who do not agree with or challenge LGBTQ issues.  I think it is a great campaign in it’s structure, and should be recognized for the strong stance they took on this issue.

However, Jazz looks extremely happy and fun loving in her segment of this campaign.  This may turn away other transgender individuals who may not have had such an easy process.  In other words, there may be other transgender teenagers who are facing a much more difficult time, and may see Jazz’s life as easy or unrealistic.  In this sense, Jazz’s story may be inspirational, but uninformative for teens who may be seeking help in a deeper sense.

So the question becomes, are these media outlets for LGBTQ adolescents the best possible way to reach this audience? Or are there other, perhaps more realistic ways to facilitate these adolescents in potentially the most important time of their lives?

Work Cited:

Bond, B. J., Hefner, V. & Drogos, K. L. (2009).  Information-seeking practices during the sexual development of lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals: The influence and effects of coming out in a mediated environment.  Sexuality and Culture: An Interdisciplinary Quarterly, 13(1), 32-50.

Sexto Sentido: Is it feasible for American TV?

For my Comm Capstone class last year, we took some time to look into edutainment shows to see how well they were able to communicate information about sexual health in each episode. The show that we focused on was a show called Sexto Sentido, which means "Sixth Sense". The show is a Nicaraguan Telenovela about teens that are dealing with lots of different issues such as teen pregnancy and domestic violence. What's really interesting about this show is that some of the actors are also writers as well, and really grapple with the issues that they are talking about or have even gone through a lot of these situations. So when someone watches an episode, it feels less like a PSA and more like a show because the characters respond to these situations in honest ways instead of "correct" ways.

Recently as we've been talking about possible positive effects of media or even how media can encourage healthy sexual behavior, it reminded me a lot of this show and the ways in which it affected the Nicaraguan population. We saw a short video where it not only showed the episode, but also how people in Nicaragua responded to these issues after watching the show. What was interesting but not really surprising was that viewers that watched the show often started to have similar attitudes about pregnancies, homosexuality, and healthy relationships without watching PSAs. And often the show would have the actors and actresses do a short announcement at the end about getting more information on the topic they talked about. According to Delgado and Austin (2007), media can have an affect on viewers that watch TV that incorporate sexual health messages. For their study, it was found that "Viewers, defined as those who saw one or more of the televised announcements, were 2.3 times more likely to report condom use than non-viewers,". In the same way, one could say that Sexto Sentido had a profound effect on the viewers of Nicaragua by shaping their attitudes about different sexual and social issues. And by pairing it with announcements at the end, it reinforced the message.

Now while these effects seem viable and positive, it makes me wonder just how feasible this would be for TV shows in the US. After all, Sexto Sentido has a particular tone as a telenovela that allows it to be a little more dramatic and blatant than perhaps TV shows in America where the story is more sleek and less emotionally driven. While the idea might seem like a good one, it makes me wonder if having sexual health messages in TV shows actually doable. Because while they do say that viewers were more than 2.3 times likely to have an attitude or behavior change, it is only one example out of many other TV shows that exist and may have conflicting messages about sexuality. It also makes me wonder how these shows would execute these messages in a way that is engaging and subtle enough without being preachy. It's much more easier to do that with health messages because you can incorporate them into medical shows where it's important for the viewer to know the health conditions such as shows like Grey's Anatomy.

But for issues on sexual health, there's a big chance that it can end up being very blatant and obvious, thus making the show not as interesting or engaging. And with the different ways that people can interpret a message on a show, it makes me wonder if this is actually something that is doable. Because if it could, and had just as positive and widespread effects as Sexto Sentido, then it would definitely be something worth looking into.


Resources

Austin, S. B. & Delgado, H. M. (2007). Can media promote responsible sexual behaviors among adolescents and young adults?. Current Opinion in Pediatrics. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

How does one understand media through cultural barriers?

Fresh off the Boat is new comedy on ABC based off a memoir with the same title by Eddie Huang. The hilarious first season, follows the Huang’s relocation from Washington D.C to Orlando, FL as they attempt to open a steak restaurant in the pursuit of the “American dream”. What makes the story so interesting and entertaining is the culture clash that the family experiences when moving from the north to the south. Furthermore, the first season takes place between 1995-97, right at the cusp of the internet revolution. Eddie, the main character of the show, is a pre-teen struggling to assimilate to his new high school. To make matters worse, his parents are struggling to assimilate into their own new surroundings. Although new media, such as the internet, cell phones and iPod are now used in place of traditional media. Teens ages 12-17 continue watch an average of 12 hours of television per week ( Brown et al., 2009, p. 12) and listen to 16 hours of music per week (Brown et al., 2009 p, 12). One could assume that 20 years ago, traditional media consumption among teens would have been even higher and even more important than today.

In episode 3, Eddie struggles to fit in with the kids at school. He doesn’t wear Jordan’s and  eats traditional Taiwanese food, and as a result is treated like an outsider by the other kids. Eddie wants to learn how to fit in, so he pops in his cassette tape of rapper Old Dirty Bastard (ODB) for inspiration. The ODB song Eddie listens to, features scantily clad booty shaking woman around him while he raps and throws money in the air. ODB’s music is similar to a lot of rap music and other traditional media, it portrays sexuality or some sort of sexual behavior, however the sexual actions often lack consequence (Brown et al., 2009, p. 12.

 In reading, Can media promote responsible sexual behaviors among adolescents and young adults?  Delgado and Austin posit that parents play a crucial role in their children’s sex education ( p.407). I would contend that parents are crucial, however they can hinder a child if they live in an area that differ from own culture and values. Eddie believes that he needs to find a really hot girl so that he can be cool. To go about this, Eddie uses ODB as inspiration. He attempts to woo Honey, his mother’s friend. In one scene, he attempts to “make it rain” on her by showering her with coupons from his dad’s restaurant and asks her to dance a little. Eddie does not understand that he is degrading this woman and treating her like a stripper. ODB does it, and that his is American inspiration. Most of readings this week focused on youth and sexual health. We learned that teens can be influenced by media content and that certain pre and post intervention can be effective in changing their behavior. I would argue that pre intervention and post intervention techniques are even more crucial for those who lack understanding due to cultural barriers. I also wonder whether or not there is exists research regarding sexual health and first generation citizens or immigrants.

Brown, J. D., Keller, S., & Stern, S. (2009). Sex, Sexuality, Sexting, and SexEd: Adolescents and the Media. Prevention Researcher, 16(4), 12-16.

Delgado, H. M., & Austin, S. B. (2007). Can media promote responsible sexual behaviors among adolescents and young adults?. Current opinion in pediatrics, 19(4), 405-410.

Khan, N., Kasdan, J., & Mar, M. (2015). The Shunning [Television series episode]. In Fresh off the Boat. Orlando, FL: ABC.

Sex and the City: Exposing Sexual Health Risks

Admittedly when I was in high school I absolutely loved to watch Sex and the City. I never identified with the characters, but I found myself living vicariously through their life experiences. The show offered sexual scripts that showcased varying sexual behaviors such as abstinence, sexual curiosity, reserved sexual encounters and if you were Samantha, lots and lots of sexual partners. However, while looking at different excerpts I noticed that Sex and the City does a fairly good job at negotiating risks associated with sexual activity. Themes I saw ranged from heartbreak to unplanned pregnancies and even contracting sexually transmitted diseases. A teen consuming this media would be able to extract the most pertinent information that was embedded in each episode, without having to try them out first to learn the risks.

In the first excerpt Miranda tells Steve that she is pregnant. Miranda loosely discusses, and jokes about the effects of unsafe sex. Due to the fact that she has gotten pregnant Steve jokes that he would not be able to afford a ring for Miranda and afford the expenses of their future baby. This highlights the economic strain of having a baby when one isn’t ready. “Teens who see risky sexual practices that do not indicate negative consequences may be more likely to adopt the negative sexual behaviors”(Brown et. al, 2009). However, teens that watch this excerpt may be reluctant to engage in sexual behaviors after seeing that marriage and financial security are sacrificed as a negative implication of unprotected sex. Furthermore, for the teens that DO identify with the characters in this television show, they may learn the responsibilities of safe sex more so than teens that do not. “T.V. can teach the risks and responsibilities that accompany sexual activity in a way that books and classrooms cannot by portraying sexual experiences with characters that they identify with” (Collins et. al, 2003).  In this light, Miranda offers a character portrayal that may function as a super peer or a comforting guide to young teens that do not wish to engage in discussions surrounding sexual health risks with parents or even peers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHrrlUYwmko

In the second excerpt, Samantha who represents the highly sexual member of the friend group goes in for an HIV test. After realizing that she has had many sexual partners, she decides to go in to be safe. While the doctor is asking her routine questions, Samantha provides valuable knowledge on varying types of sexual practices that transmit diseases and different condom brands to use to limit the health risks.  If a young-adult were watching this show they would be able to extract information on various ways to contract STD’s (STI’s), as well as safe practices (such as condom usage, and types of condoms) to use in order to limit negative health risks, especially if they are sexually active like Samantha. Furthermore, while Samantha is answering her questions, she makes a light joke about “swallowing only when surprised.” By using some comedy in this segment it enables the producers to get their message across, while also using it as a tool to break the ice and engage the audience members. “Sitcoms can convey messages about sexual risk behaviors and promote communication about STI’s and pregnancy prevention” (Delgado, Austin, 2007).  All in all, although Sex and the City may be more applicable to young adults, more so than teens, I believe that it helps to bring an uncomfortable topic to the forefront, and engage audience members in healthy discussions surrounding sexual health with their partner, other peers, and even family members.

Collins, R. L., Elliott, M. N., Berry, S. H., Kanouse, D. E., & Hunter, S. B. (2003). Entertainment television as a healthy sex educator: The impact of condom-efficacy information in an episode of Friends. Pediatrics, 112(5), 1115-1121. doi: 10.1542/peds.112.5.1115

Brown, J. D., Keller, S., & Stern, S. (2009). Sex, sexuality, sexting, and sexed: Adolescents and the media. Prevention Researcher, 16(4), 12-16.

Delgado, H. M., & Austin, S. B. (2007). Can media promote responsible sexual behaviors among adolescents and young adults? Current Opinion in Pediatrics, 19(4), 405-410. doi: 10.1097/MOP.0b013e32823ed008

Sex and the City [Motion picture on DVD]. (1998). United States: HBO Original Programming.

Social Media and the Censoring of Sex Ed

I recently came across an article written by Amber Madison, titled "When Social-Media Companies Censor Sex Education", and thought it was an interesting tie in to what we've learned so far about sex education and the Internet.

As we read in the Brown, Keller & Stern article, the Internet makes available sexual health information, which "44% report using the Internet to find". In addition, the Internet is a good source for adolescents to "explore and find themselves sexually", to "express feelings openly", and generally engage with the information in a relatively safe space. So, we know that the Internet can facilitate a really great learning space for young users to get the information they need about sex education. But what happens with social media, a huge part of the modern Internet experience, is censored to stop educational information regarding sex?

The Madison article refers to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy's "Bedsider" social media accounts. Bedsider wanted to "create the "cool kid" of sexual health and contraceptive information" to reach an audience that needs this kind of information. It seems like a great idea in theory, especially since enjoyment of and identification with a particular media voice can lead to greater efficacy in learning (Joyce & Harwood, 2014).

But Twitter prohibits language referring to sex. In order for sex education to be allowed onto the platform, it needs to "not contain sexual content and not link to sexual content". A Bedsider tweet was deleted for "paint[ing] sex in a recreational/positive light versus being neutral and dry". Madison brings up a great comparison: that valid sex education organizations cannot possibly compete with Kim Kardashian's butt (which was allowed all over Twitter and other social media) when they are forced to "speak like doctors" and "show stale pictures of people who look like they're shopping for car insurance".

Facebook is no better. A link to a Bedsider article with the tagline "you'er so sexy when you're well" wasn't allowed because its language was deemed "profane, vulgar, threatening, or [as generating] high negative feedback".

Assuming adolescents are learning about sex through their use of social media, they're clearly going to gravitate more towards posts like Kim K's bare butt rather than a boring, purely informational tweet about sex education. But why are oversexualized images deemed acceptable (allegedly not profane, vulgar, threatening, containing sexual content) on these platforms but educational information about how to be safe and healthy unacceptable?

Social media is a platform that allows information to be instantly accessible to a huge amount of people, which could be extremely beneficial to educational organizations. However, there's a ridiculous double standard surrounding sexual content online. One of the current arguments is that sexual health information could be potentially offensive to some users, which holds absolutely no weight, not when there are other sexual images freely floating around on social media that are deemed acceptable to be posted. Ultimately, sex education is extremely important, and the way our culture treats sexual health information needs to be changed.

References:

Brown J., Keller S., & Stern, S. (2009). Sex, Sexuality, Sexting, and SexEd: Adolescents and the Media. The Prevention Researcher, 16(4), 12-16.

Joyce, N. & Harwood, J. (2014). Context and Identification in Persuasive Mass Communication. Journal of Media Psychology, 26(1), 50-57.

Madison, A.  (2015). When Social Media Censors Sex Education. The Atlantic. Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/03/when-social-media-censors-sex-education/385576/

Carl's Jr: Selling Burgers ... or Sex?

I don’t know if you’ve been watching television lately, but I spent many hours watching TV when I was home for Spring Break. Some of this TV was live and so this meant I was forced to watch commercials - like in the olden days when we didn’t have Tivo. One commercial in particular caught my eye. It was the latest Carl’s Jr. commercial and trust me, this commercial would catch your attention too.

In the commercial a beautiful blonde walks through an outdoor market… seemingly naked. (Yup… naked!!!) Not only is she naked but she shoots seductive looks at the men she passes by (who ogle at her) and through fruit imagery viewers'  attention is drawn to her boobs and butt (i.e. in one scene melons obstruct the camera’s view where her boobs should be and in another scene apples obstruct the camera’s view of where her butt should be). In the end the camera shows that the beautiful woman is in fact wearing clothes - but it is a skimpy bikini and the commercial is without a doubt designed to fool the audience into thinking the blonde is wearing no clothes. This commercial is for burgers? Seriously? … Yes, seriously. In the last second the blonde takes a sexualized bite of a Carl’s Jr. burger (that magically appears in her hand out of nowhere). For fun, want to guess what this burger is called? It is the “All Natural” Burger. So in case you didn’t get the joke - the naked woman is all natural and so is the burger. Welcome to modern advertising and the sexualized way products are sold today.

Most recent Carl’s Jr. Commercial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WTA_8waxTo

After watching this commercial I was reminded of the Paris Hilton Carl’s Jr. commercial that was famous quite a few years ago and so I felt prompted to look up Carl’s Jr. commercials on YouTube and to see if this sexualization was a trend for the fast food chain… It certainly was. I watched a 10 minute YouTube video compilation of Carl’s Jr.’s hottest commercials and I was appalled at how sexy these commercials were and how women were used in sexualized ways to sell these burgers.

Infamous Paris Hilton Commercial (2005)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UBnDhbIxvI

While all of these commercials were somewhat appalling as a feminist, one commercial literally was jaw dropping. I did some research and it turns out that it was banned, but that it was going to be shown (prior to being banned) during the 2015 Superbowl. The commercial can be found on YouTube as the “Big Sausage” Commercial 2015. In case your mind hasn’t already made the connection between sausage and sex appeal – the commercial sells a sausage via a hot women licking it slowly and sexually like a penis. She licks the sausage up and down, and moves her tongue around it slowly. Eventually in the commercial the woman gets mayo (or some form of sauce) on her breast and she slowly picks it up with her finger and licks it off with her tongue. The imagery was truly too visual and I can most definitely see why this commercial was banned.  

Banned Carl's Jr. Commercial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puOh-NxPTeA

What bothers me about all of these commercials is the messages they send. Specifically, they promote the feminine courtship strategies of the heterosexual script. This script promotes the concept of women objectifying themselves to win the male gaze and additionally perpetuates the idea that women are valued primarily in our society for their physical appearance (Kim, Sorsoli, Collins, Zylbergold, Schooler, & Tolman, 2007). The heterosexual script encourages women to use alluring strategies to win men’s attention and diminishes the importance of a woman’s self worth, dignity, and other attributes (i.e. personality). Additionally, there are further negative consequences that result from viewing media such as these Carl’s Jr. commercials. A study was done in 1995 that showed that exposure to rap videos that featured women in “sexually subordinate and promiscuous roles… led to increased acceptance of dating violence against adolescent girls” (Ferguson, Berlin, Noles, Johnson, Reed, & Spicer, 2005). While this study was done on rap videos, it is implied that exposure to any media depicting women in sexually subordinate and promiscuous roles (i.e. these Carl’s Jr. videos) can have negative consequences for a woman’s respect and safety.

To end, I leave you food for thought... If media is a super-peer and is in fact providing scripts for adolescents to learn from (Drury & Bukowski, 2013) what kind of world are we living in, and what kind of horrendous values will today’s easily influenced adolescents grow up with?

Carl's Jr. Hottest Commercials Compilation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnfKCOwKviE

Works Cited

Drury, K. M. & Bukowski, W. M. (2013). Sexual development. In Bromberg, D. & O’Donohue, W.T. (Eds.), Handbook of Child and Adolescent Sexuality (pp. 115-144).

Ferguson, T., Berlin, J., Noles, E., Johnson, J., Reed, W., & Spicer, C. V. (2005). Variation in the application of the “Promiscuous Female” Stereotype and the nature of the application domain: Influences on sexual harassment judgments after exposure to the Jerry Springer Show. Sex Roles, 52 (7/8), 477-487.

Kim, J., Sorsoli, C. L., Collins, K., Zylbergold, B., Schooler, D., & Tolman, D. (2007). From Sex to Sexuality: Exposing the Heterosexual Script on Primetime Network Television. Journal of Sex Research, 44, 145-157.

"Edu-tainment": More than Just Condoms and 97%s

Friends was arguably one of the most popular sitcoms in its 1990s heyday and reruns of the show still air now. Given its pure genius and the fact that the show is one of my all time favorites, Collins et al.'s analysis of the episode when Ross finds out that Rachel is pregnant with his child as a way of sex education about condom-efficacy information was especially interesting. This analysis found that this episode effectively taught the risks and responsibilities of sex by portraying character experiences and that the episode opened channels of communication about sexual health between parents and teens. The authors were able to conclude that entertainment television had the "advantage of being able to model socially responsible behavior without explicitly advocating for it" (Collins et al., 2003, p. 1119-1120).

This got me thinking about the potential of shows like Friends in the realm of edu-tainment beyond teaching about contraception and condoms. What about the potential of Friends to educate viewers about heterosexual and homosexual relationships? Could the narrative of Friends educate viewers about other aspects of sexuality like the episode reviewed by Collins et al. did it regards to condom use?

One of the central story lines throughout all 10 seasons of Friends is Ross' ex-wife, Carol, and her lesbian relationship with partner Susan. The pilot episode leads with this story and Ross' emotional turmoil over Carol leaving him to live with Susan, who Carol remains romantically involved through the show's finale. Carol and Susan also raise the son conceived between Carol and Ross before their divorce. The two get married in season two and, while the fact that the first of Ross' three divorces was because Carol left him for a woman is a point of humor within the show's writing, the relationship is celebrated, especially in the wedding episode:

The show also plays with the male characters' sexuality, at one time or another joking at the expense of Ross, Joey, or Chandler about the possibility that they might be gay. Chandler, for the first half of the show, is usually at the expense of this type of humor but the plot line brings Monica and Chandler together at the end of the seventh season in marriage while Ross and Rachel do end up together by the last episode and Joey is content in his single lifestyle.

These kind of portrayals are important and, I think, have the potential to educate. In their article "Information-Seeking Practices during the Sexual Development of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual individuals: The Influence and Effects of Coming Out in a Mediated Environment," Bond, Hefner, and Drogos (2009) found that the internet and the media in general were important means of gathering information for LGBT teens during the coming out process. The internet was found to be the most frequently used tool (p. 40), however comedy like Friends might be even more important. Information on the internet would allow LGBT teens to ask questions and interact with one another but shows like Friends have the ability to portray experiences to viewers. In the case of Carol and Susan, lesbians in the coming out process might learn from watching the show and seeing the course that the relationship takes. The two live together, raise a child, get married, and neither of the two are stereotypically femme or butch. As the guys of the show also search for love and learn about themselves, the show demonstrates that there is not one type of masculinity that is attractive.

Collins et al. (2003) found that the Friends condom episode "reopened some existing channels of communication" and that parents used the episode as a springboard to broach the topic for the first time and to express their own opinions and views to their teens (p. 1120). Thus, it seems that comedy has a way of making the subject of sexual health more approachable by parents and teens and something that has the potential to start conversations. Bond, Hefner, and Drogos (2009), however, found that self reported heavier users of media during the coming-out process reported less family openness in their current lives than light media users (p. 42). Therefore, it seems that looking at the potential of sitcoms like Friends and the potential for education about a range of sexual health issues might open up the conversation between LGBT teens beginning the coming out process with their families. Seeing a successful relationship like Carol and Susan's or watching the male characters negotiations of very different masculinities might have as much power as the show did to educate about condom use.

Therefore, Friends might be more than just funny. With subtle inclusion of different kinds of sexual relationships and sexual journeys, the characters might just be able to teach young audiences about healthy sexuality, especially LGBT teens that are beginning the coming out process, and how to talk about it.

References

Bond, B. J., Hefner, V., & Drogos, K. L. (2009). Information-seeking practices during the sexual development of lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals: The influence and effects of coming out in a mediated environment. Sexuality and Culture: An Interdisciplinary Quarterly, 13(1), 32-50. 

Collins, R. L., Elliott, M. N., Berry, S. H., Kanouse, D. E., & Hunter, S. B. (2003). Entertainment television as a healthy sex educator: The impact of condom-efficacy information in an episode of Friends. Pediatrics, 112(5), 1115-1121. 

YouTube As A Source To Avoid the "Sex Talk"

I still cringe when I hear the phrase "sex talk," because it was easily one of the most awkward conversations with my mom I've had in my lifetime, and I try to rid my memory of this experience completely. While I now fully understand the importance of "the talk," who knew there were so many educational sex videos on YouTube? To be perfectly honest, I totally would've preferred watching an online video opposed to hearing the sex talk from my mother, EW!

In an article we read entitled, Sex, Sexuality, Sexting, and SexEd: Adolescents and the Media, the effects of sexual media content are explored, and there both positive and negative aspects of  choosing to forgo the "talk" and turn to YouTube for such vital information. 

Let's start with some positives: First of all, the article brings to our attention that "the Internet provides a relatively safe space for teens to explore and define themselves as sexual beings" (Brown, Keller, & Stern 2009). Okay, so we see here in turning to YouTube as a source of sexual information, a teen would be more free to explore their own sexuality opposed to asking some very personal questions to a parent, yikes! In fact, in 2003 an astounding 44% of teens reported using the Internet to find sexual health information, that's almost half! So, we see here how something very simple, such as a YouTube video, can help teens better understand sexuality. Secondly, we all know how sex in the media is glorified as risk free and solely pleasurable without consequences, Well, in watching an educational video online, this glamorous aspect is quickly squashed by two evil words: STD's and PREGNANCY!  Even better, for a teenager watching this video, he or she would learn how to prevent these evil occurrences, and avoid the whole "16 and pregnant" stereotype.  

Let's rewind for a second and think about the stat above...44% of teens used the Internet in 2003 to learn about sexual health. In 2003, I'm pretty sure I was still learning what the Internet was, so this number has had to increase in the past decade...which means sites like YouTube are doing a great job on educating America's youth on the ever talked about topic of sex. 

There is no question that teens benefit greatly from using the Internet as a source of Sex Education, but with positives also comes some negative aspects of turning to the Internet to become more educated.

Firstly, as the reading brings up "sources can be misleading or inaccurate" (Brown, Keller, & Stern 2009). So, while this video source above does an excellent job, I'm sure there are many other videos...cough cough PORN that provide information that is quite opposite of what sex really is, scary! Secondly, a parent knows more about their child and might be able to deliver more accurate tips and advice that the Internet can't provide, painful but true. For example, the Internet can't predict your family values in terms of how parents feel about their kid having sex, and the Internet can't give you the answer to whether or not to sleep with someone, but a parent can. These are a couple negatives of choosing to learn everything from the Internet.

To choose to have "the talk" or not to...

While I dread having "the talk" with my future child, after carefully evaluating both the pros and cons of learning about sex from the Internet, I feel that it would be best for me to talk with my future child first before allowing them to seek further information online.  This way, I would be sure that my child would be receiving accurate information.  I would also encourage my kid to explore more online if he or she had any more questions because I do see the Internet as a great learning source, if used fittingly.  This is a tough issue though for me, and I'm sure it is for many parents as well because how can you encourage your child to learn more about sex on the Internet while at the same time protecting them from harmful messages, such as those porn provides? So, as you can clearly see this is a sticky situation that in my opinion, still needs to be examined in the next decade. 

What do you think? 

Reference 

Brown, J. D., Keller, S., & Stern, S. (2009). Sex, sexuality, sexting, and sexed: Adolescents and the media. Prevention Researcher, 16(4), 12-16