Thought Talk – 2/14/11 – Sexualized Media

Issue: Should TV shows aimed at teens be censored in some way due to heavy sexual content?

Statistics:
 Underage female characters are shown participating in a higher percentage of sexual
depictions compared to adults (47% to 29% respectively).
 Only 5% of underage female characters expressed any negative emotions about being
sexualized.
 Of all the sexualized female characters in the underage and young adult category, 86%
were depicted as being of high school age.
 93% of the sexual incidents involving underage female characters qualified as
“unhealthy,” based on definitions of “healthy” and “unhealthy” sexuality established by
the American Psychological Association.
 98% of the sexual incidents involving underage female characters occurred outside of any
form of a committed relationship.
 73% of the underage sexualized incidents were presented humorously.

Proponents:
 Freedom of speech
 These broadcasts are free to depict what they would like.
 Culture
 These shows show a certain style of life and recreate the culture that is the lives of
troubled teenagers today.
 Entertainment
 These shows are educational, providing insight into complicated matters such as
sexuality, teenage pregnancy, etc.

Opponents:
 Demoralization
 These shows lead teens to think that they need to engage in sexual acts in order to
be accepted by society.
 Excess
 Some shows include extraneous sex scenes that are not conducive to the plot.
 Age-appropriate
 Much of the banter/slang used is not appropriate for the target age group.