That's what a new study says:
Early onset of sexual activity among teens may relate to the amount
of adult content children were exposed to during their childhood,
according to a new study released by Children's Hospital Boston. Based
on a longitudinal study tracking children from age six to eighteen,
researchers found that the younger children are exposed to content
intended for adults in television and movies, the earlier they become
sexually active during adolescence. The findings are being presented at
the Pediatric Academic Societies meetings on Monday, May 4 in
Baltimore.
"Television and movies are among the leading
sources of information about sex and relationships for adolescents,"
says Hernan Delgado, MD, fellow in the Division of Adolescent/Young
Adult Medicine at Children's Hospital Boston and lead author of the
study. "Our research shows that their sexual attitudes and expectations
are influenced much earlier in life."
The study consisted of
754 participants, 365 males and 389 females, who were tracked during
two stages in life: first during childhood, and again five years later
when their ages ranged from 12 to 18-years-old. At each stage, the
television programs and movies viewed, and the amount of time spent
watching them over a sample weekday and weekend day were logged. The
program titles were used to determine what content was intended for
adults. The participants' onset of sexual activity was then tracked
during the second stage.
According to the findings, when the
youngest children in the sample--ages 6 to 8-years-old--were exposed to
adult-targeted television and movies, they were more likely to have sex
earlier when compared those who watched less adult-targeted content.
The study found that for every hour the youngest group of children
watched adult-targeted content over the two sample days, their chances
of having sex during early adolescence increased by 33 percent.
Meanwhile, the reverse was not found to be true–that is, becoming
sexually active in adolescence did not subsequently increase youth's
viewing of adult-targeted television and movies.
Okay, but:
"It seems to me that this correlation may have more to do with uninvolved parents than with TV," writes Hannah Tennant-Moore
in a Babble column reporting on the study. "Any six-year-old who is
allowed to watch several hours of adult television in a day is not
likely to have parents who will talk to him or her about sex later in
life."
Tennant-Moore adds: "I'm certainly no fan of the majority of
mainstream television--particularly not as entertainment for
six-year-olds--but it would be much easier, and perhaps more effective,
to raise awareness about the need for parents to openly discuss healthy
sexual behavior with their kids than it would be to substantially shift
the entire foundation of popular culture."
Amen, Hannah Tennant-Moore. Mostly, though, we're creeped out by all the pervy scientists watching kids have sex. What's that? They didn't watch? So what's the proof? Surveys? Oh, that's good. No one ever lies about sex.
PREVIOUSLY:
TV Makes You Less Lonely?
TV Makes You Drink?
TV Makes You Depressed?
