posted
Okay, so I'm writing *one last* story for journalism before the end of the semester, this one about the increase in the amount of sexual content in the media, on tv, in movies, in ads, in magazines, etc etc...and what effect this is having on my generation.
There's no big complicated survey for this, I just need some nice vehement opinions from people who (unlike the people I go to school with) find something wrong with sex in the media/just generally have new and different perspectives. And where better to come for vehement opinions than Hatrack
So I'd like to keep it confined to a thread, but please don't post unless you mind being quoted in a story (I'd appreciate it if you gave me your age, and whatever other info you can offer -- I totally understand if you don't want to give your name, my professor gave me permission to use pseudonyms for all of you. A general descrition of your geographic location would be nice, but isn't absolutely necessary.
Also, if you want to participate in the thread but don't want to be quoted, please just preface your post and ask me not to.
Anyway, on to the controversy (I hope.)
First, do you think young people today have "sex on the brain" more than their parents or grandparents did? Has sex become to "normalized"?
How do you feel about premarital sex? Do you think premarital sex has become more widely accepted, especially among young people? What do you want to do to change it? Is the media responsible for it?
Do you think there's too much sex on TV? Do you think this cheapens sex? What should be done about it?
Would you be willing to let your teenage son/daughter have sex under your roof?
Don't feel like you have to answer everything! If you respond to one thing I"ll be very happy Especially if it's something you really care about, those are alwasy be best quotes.
posted
I don't think that pre-marital sex is wrong. I just think that pre-love or pre-reflexion sex is wrong. At the moment you know you love the person and want to spend the rest of your life with him/her (and are in age to take that decision) then I'm OK with having sex before marriage. Teenage son/daughter having sex at my home : depends of your definition of "teenage". I met Vinnie at 19, so I guess at this age or 18, and, I insist, if it's serious and not just a person he/she would hardly recognize one week later, then I would permit it. But not be comfortable with it, I think. BTW, I'm 22 and work as a school librairian.
[ April 28, 2004, 12:47 PM: Message edited by: Anna ]
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posted
Do you really not have a good idea how the various people on this site are going to answer your questions?
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posted
Storm, that's the point It's the opposing viewpoints that I *need* for my story. There's plenty of college kids around here and most of *them* aren't going to be able to fully illustrate the (possible) generation gap on this issue.
I swear, I'm not trying to start a brawl.
Edit: Plus, I can't just *make up* a quote. I know how various poeple *feel* about this issue, but it's their words I need.
[ April 28, 2004, 11:35 AM: Message edited by: Kasie H ]
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posted
Just concerning the teen sex/premarital sex part...
I don't think premarital sex is any more common now than it was in the past, but I do think we as a whole are a lot more open about it. It's not as though teenagers just all woke up one morning and decided, "Hey! Let's go have sex!" and thus began the Great Teen Sex Conspiracy Against the Moral Fiber of Our Society. It's been around (surprise, surprise) for quite a while, but it hasn't really been talked about so openly until the past few years, and that's not necessarily a bad thing.
posted
"do you think young people today have "sex on the brain" more than their parents or grandparents did?"
No, but I think that they may have a clearer, or more specific and graphic, picture in their minds when they do think about it.
"Has sex become to "normalized"?"
I think explicit sexual discussions and images have come out of the locker room, so to speak. Things that were always spoken or viewed in private are now more commonly out in the open, and fewer people seem to object to this. And no, I don't think that this change is a good thing.
"How do you feel about premarital sex?"
I think that it is wrong. Always. No exceptions.
"Do you think premarital sex has become more widely accepted, especially among young people? What do you want to do to change it? Is the media responsible for it?"
Yes, it has become more widely accepted, and even applauded as healthy and natural. I think the media bear a degree of responsibility for this. And I think that parents have the primary responsibility to make a change.
"Do you think there's too much sex on TV? Do you think this cheapens sex?"
Yes and yes.
"What should be done about it?"
First, people should refuse to watch it. Most particularly, parents should exercise greater control over what they and their children watch. Concerned citizens should also make their displeasure known to the media outlets and, if necessary, to the government authorities, who I believe DO have the power to regulate the content of such "entertainment."
"Would you be willing to let your teenage son/daughter have sex under your roof?"
Absolutely not.
EDIT: I missed the request for info. Age: 31, Location Las Vegas, NV, profession: attorney, father of two small boys.
posted
25 I think people have become too casual about sex. Especially on many of the sitcoms or so-called reality shows. People have no respect for it. It's used to sell everything from gum to cars. To make matters worse, America gives a contradictory message about sex. On one hand it says "Don't do it." But then they show images of scantily clad men and women on MTV and on the cover of the Rolling Stone. It's like saying don't eat these fresh cookies warm from the oven that I just put in an open cookie jar. People have always had sex on the brain. They just had to work hard to repress it and often would marry early to have sex legitimetly. To me, premarital sex is a personal decision but I believe people should only have sex with someone if they truly love and care about them. Casual sex is disgusting in my view.
Sex should be normalized to lessen people's feeling of shame about it, but it shouldn't be cheapened and shows like Temptation Island or whatever definetly cheapen it. It's not even that erotic or romantic anymore. Just boring. Kids should be educated about sex in an age appropiate manner and taught to respect themselves and not listen to these ridiculous media messages about something so personal.
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posted
Anne Kate Ard, 46 year old, LDS, Alabama, Electrical Engineer.
Yes pretend sex (advertising sex, sex that is more interested in what's in your wallet than anything else about you) pervades our society, and it's pretty sad and pathetic. I don't see how it can be changed by force (by legislation), and don't feel it should. It's part of living in a free society. The protection against it is that people will become and are becoming too savvy to fall for it.
The Victoria's Secret Models don't really want you, you see. Brittney Spears isn't hot for your body. It's a big lie. They just want your money. Porn magazines aren't portraying realistic situations from life. They are hack writers churning out whatever sells. You are far better than this, don't you see? You are much more of a person. It demeans your personal sexiness (and your personal person-ness) to think of it as being at all the same thing in any way as our cheap mass-market consumer sex-for-sale. That said, I don't really separate what's good for kids from what's good for anyone.
First, do you think young people today have "sex on the brain" more than their parents or grandparents did? Has sex become too "normalized"? I think people have done a great deal of thinking about sex always. Reading Shakespeare, or Henry Fielding, for instance, shows that. Sex has become less private and more public the last hundred years, perhaps. I don't think this is a bad thing. There's always a swing back and forth about that. The 19th century was one of reticence. The 14th and 17th were more open. Teaching children abstinence outside marriage and helping them to achieve that is no easier nor harder than it's ever been.
How do you feel about premarital sex? Do you think premarital sex has become more widely accepted, especially among young people? What do you want to do to change it? Is the media responsible for it? I believe extramarital sex is a grave error, and that it causes a lot of damage to people's selves. It may be more open now, but I don't believe there's ever been a time when people didn't have a lot of pressure to engage in sex. I don't think that will ever change. The media in a free society are not really tools of social engineering. People simply choose what they want to see. The off button is still a viable option.
Would you be willing to let your teenage son/daughter have sex under your roof? "Mom, can I have Billy over to have sex with me tonight?" "No, dear, we believe in waiting until marriage for that."
[ April 28, 2004, 12:18 PM: Message edited by: ak ]
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posted
Just because I think it would be amusing to have a quote attributed to Mr. Storm Saxon--
quote: First, do you think young people today have "sex on the brain" more than their parents or grandparents did?
No. People are screwing as much as they ever did. They're just more open about it.
quote: Has sex become to "normalized"?
Not sure what you mean by this. Do you mean, as opposed to doing it for God and Country? I think sex has been normal for a while. Again, it's just out in the open now.
quote: How do you feel about premarital sex?
I don't get enough.
quote: Do you think premarital sex has become more widely accepted, especially among young people?
What age range constitutes young people? What about older people? I think a lot more older people are screwing like mad outside of marriage than they did 50 years a go. I think more 'young people' are embracing chastity and abstinence than ever before. I don't think there's ever been a time in this country when large segments of the population were expected to not have sex until their mid to late 20s (median age for marriage). I also think there are lots that are screwing like weasels.
quote: What do you want to do to change it?
I don't need to do anything to change it. There are a million organizations out there pushing for abstinence or potraying sex as fun. I think that pretty much covers all the bases. My help isn't needed to get the message out. People can decide on their own. They don't need my help.
quote:
Is the media responsible for it?
Which media? The Christian media? The fastest growing segment of media in the country? Absolutely.
quote:
Do you think there's too much sex on TV?
They had some elephant sex on the discovery channel the last time I stopped by my brother's house. that's pretty much the only time I've ever seen sex on tv.
quote: Do you think this cheapens sex?
Maybe if you're an elephant.
quote: What should be done about it?
Clearly elephants should do the business when cameras aren't watching.
quote: Would you be willing to let your teenage son/daughter have sex under your roof?
In an ideal world, it would depend on my son or daughter. In this one...possibly. I don't know, actually. this is actually a tough question because I not only have to factor in my son or daughter but the idiot society I live in that would probably try and penalize me if I did let them have sex.
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Sex is not about love; it's about commitment. Because the NATURAL consequence of sex is pregnancy (barring birth control) a committment should be made so in case pregnancy occurs. Hopefully, love is present when that commitment is made, but that is not always the case. So, do I believe that pre-marital sex is wrong? Yes. I believe that marriage is the commitment that should be made before the physical consummation of that love occurs.
quote: First, do you think young people today have "sex on the brain" more than their parents or grandparents did?
No. I know 50 year old that have "sex on the brain." That is a biological drive that all normal humans have.
quote: Do you think premarital sex has become more widely accepted, especially among young people?
Yes.
quote: Is the media responsible for it?
No.
quote: What do you want to do to change it?
This kind of education needs to be done in the home. This minute, the nurse is in my classroom talking to a group of freshmen about sex and the options they have if they get pregnant. This shouldn't be the school's or the school nurse's job. This is the parents' role. What can we do to change it? Strengthen the family.
quote: Would you be willing to let your teenage son/daughter have sex under your roof?
No. Not unless they were married, and I will encourage my children not get married until they have experienced life a little bit.
I'm 30. Raised in Missouri, currently live in Texas.
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posted
"Would you be willing to let your teenage son/daughter have sex under your roof?"
I would if the conditions are right. If they have been in a serious relationship for over a year and have bonded with their boy/girl friend to the extent that they see marriage as a happy possibility.
*looks up other people's answers* I guess I agree with Anna's post.
edited to add: I'm only 4-5 years out of college, two years out of grad school, so I'm probably not the demographic you are looking for. 28, Southern California, Aquarius, good with blow torches.
[ April 28, 2004, 12:45 PM: Message edited by: Beren One Hand ]
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quote: First, do you think young people today have "sex on the brain" more than their parents or grandparents did? Has sex become to "normalized"?
I think it is possible that people think more about sex today than at other times in history, though I don't suppose that if there is a difference it is a very big one. The reason that I think that perhaps people think more about sex is the ubiquitous sex-based advertising to sell everything from magazines to soap to clothes etc. While people are quite capable of thinking about sex on their own, the prevalence of media designed to titillate and arouse means that people are much more likely to be prompted to think about sex than previous generations.
quote: How do you feel about premarital sex? Do you think premarital sex has become more widely accepted, especially among young people? What do you want to do to change it? Is the media responsible for it?
I think that premarital sex is always a bad idea. The disassociation of sex from child bearing has led to the view that sex is a strictly recreational activity. While sex may indeed be a fun way to while away the time, I think that it is very foolish to ignore the strong emotional and psychological aspects of sex which are clearly present whether one examines the question from a religious or from a strictly biological perspective.
quote:Do you think there's too much sex on TV? Do you think this cheapens sex? What should be done about it?
The media is simply a reflection of the values of society. Media which goes beyond the limits of "good taste" is naturally penalized by a lack of economic support. Therefore, while I think that there is indeed too much sex on TV, I don't hold the media solely responsible. Rather, I see the media and the consumer as feeding one another in a cycle of growing preoccupation with depiction of sex. Presumably at some point a majority of viewers will be offended when the limits are passed and we will see a regression of this trend.
quote: Would you be willing to let your teenage son/daughter have sex under your roof?
If my daughter or son were married as a teenager (ie 18 or 19, though I feel that marriage is probably best left until later) then yes. Otherwise, no way.
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posted
Age:28...Degree: Psychology/Economics...Additional education: Masters in Education (current)....Location: Utah....Religion: Mormon-currently active, but I have left the church. Returned with much less spiritual awe for authority...Married: Yes...Kids: No...Previously Married:Yes--to young and got a divorce. Married primarily for the physical relationship--didn't want to feel guilty.
There is all the pertinent information I feel comfortable sharing.
quote:First, do you think young people today have "sex on the brain" more than their parents or grandparents did? Has sex become to "normalized"?
I don't know. I am not sure how much sex parents and grandparents had on their mind. I think the media has normalized sex. I think the clothes worn in secondary education are often designed to get a sexual response.
I am surprised by how many porn sites I have found students looking at in middle school. With internet access, there is a new form of education that is not controlled, not accurate, and very titillating. Surely that shapes the brain.
quote:How do you feel about premarital sex? Do you think premarital sex has become more widely accepted, especially among young people? What do you want to do to change it? Is the media responsible for it?
If you are responsible enough to accept and care for a baby, then I am ok with premarital sex. The consequences of sex can be so "eternal" that I think you should be willing to accept the consequences--whether they be STDs or pregnancy. I am anti-abortion (tho I think the laws should give women the right to abort). Yes, I think premarital sex is more widely accepted. Information is the best way to change behavior. I think there needs to be more communication on sex. The media certainly has influenced sex, but as a consumer driven society, the blame rests with us. Turn off the TV.
quote: Do you think there's too much sex on TV? Do you think this cheapens sex? What should be done about it?
Yes. I don't know if it cheapens it as much as it gives a false information on sex. How many times on TV do they show the emotional consequences/investment of sex? We are a consumer driven society--it is up to consumers to change behavior, not the media because of some moral objective.
quote: Would you be willing to let your teenage son/daughter have sex under your roof?
I am going to duck out of this question since I don't really know. I can't imagine the circumstances of the relationship, the age of my teenager, the personality of my future children, or what social influences he/she may be facing. If my teenager and I had a good enough relationship to discuss whether he/she would be having sex under our roof, I would be very pleased. I would encourage abstinence until college. I would recommend sex before marriage.
I think we should have school uniforms. I think the internet needs to be monitored and in a public room in the house. I think I will need to make sure my kids are not driven by entertainment (a fault I battle). I think we need to live by a correct value system that honors education, reading, exploring, and not be focused on satisfying every desire. The times I have let my appites control my behavior are the times I have been the most unhappy--of course we still need to eat and I enjoy good food .
Any appetite, whether it is sex, food, gambling, or whatever, is unhealthy if it becomes the motivating force behind our actions. I love all types of good, but constently eating will make you gluttonous and dampen the enjoyment food has to offer. The same can be said of other appetites.
I see pre-marital sex like this: Good sex can keep somebody in a relationship they have no business being in. It's like a relationship based on drugs--like if the guy was a pusher, and the girl stayed with him for the crack, even though he beats her and emotionally abuses her.
So avoiding premarital sex allows people to form relationships based on actually getting along with and respecting and loving each other. Then, if they get married, the relationship can be strengthened by the sexual bond. And if anything happens to jeoprdize that--say the man gets fat and unattractive or the woman gets terribly injured to where she can't sexually perform, or for some reason they get older with each passing year, and suffer all the consequences of that--the relationship can still last, because it's based on other things.
The media focuses on the lust/sex aspect of relationshis, the cheap and easy aspect of relationships, because they're a short attention-span format. They have to take the fast and easy route to make you like characters because in the time it takes to get you to like somebody for who they are, you might flip the channel. It's not a conspiracy to demoralize the fabric of the country or anything. It's just simplistic storytelling. Like this person because they're pretty. Hate this person because he kicks kittens.
Obviously, it's cheapening sex--rather than viewing sex as an intimate way to express affection (in other words, sex as a gift you give to another person) people are trained to see sex as an erotic experience for the self (in other words, sex is, as OSC says in Treasure Box, an easier way to masturbate).
What should be done about it? Parents should take a bigger role in their kids lives. Rather than letting their kids learn about sex and sex roles from Dawson or whoever the flavor-of-the-month is this year, parents should have honest, good discussions about sex with thier kids.
Sex shouldn't be discussed as a dirty, nasty thing, but as a beautiful, positive thing that is a way that people can show each other they love them. And as something that should be treated with care and respect, both because of the emotional impact it can have on the person you're doing it with, as well as the life it has the potential to create, even when you're careful.
If more thirteen-year-old boys truly believed this, there would be less fourteen and fifteen and sixteen-year-old boys playing terrible emotional games with teenage girls under the pretense of "love."
Yeah, it's not a perfect solution. But it deals with the cause rather than the effect. It tries to change who teenagers are rather than just change what they do.
I wholeheartly buy the "objectification of women" arguement. With two daughters myself, I crige at the media. I know they're just trying to sell tickets or CDs or advertising, but still, every time another woman is shown in a way that emphasizes nothing but her "hottness," I feel like my kids potential boyfriends are having it reinforced in their minds that girls are there to be hot, and to get you hot.
I wouldn't let teenage kids have sex under my roof. To be perfectly honest, I would see facilitating underage sex as a form of statutory rape. (No, your honor, I did not diddle the thirteen year old, but I did give the thirteen year old a clean, safe enviornment in which to be diddled.)
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posted
I'm 33, biracial (white/asian) and mostly grew up on the east coast, now live in the west. You can call me "Brenda". I will assume you take all this as my beliefs and not go overboard with the usual "IMHO" buffering. You may not quote any sentences out of the paragraph in which they appear. Other than that, quote away.
First, do you think young people today have "sex on the brain" more than their parents or grandparents did? Has sex become to "normalized"?
I don't know that they have it on the brain more, but it's open for discussion more. I don't think behavior arises strictly from either thought (impulse) or stimulus, but from a combination of both. Like walking forward on two feet. This is fairly integral to my view on all the subjects you are discussing.
I think adolescence is a time when there are a lot of sexual impulses due to the hormonal transformation the body is undergoing. If totally repressed, these can turn to violence, anger and depression. But I think it is possible to channel much of this energy into activities like art, sports, drama or debate.
There is a level where expression relieves the stress, but past that it becomes "acting out", or further excitation of the impulse that began the expression. I am concerned that acting out is becoming more encouraged. But what is acting out to one person may be valid expression for another.
How do you feel about premarital sex? Do you think premarital sex has become more widely accepted, especially among young people? What do you want to do to change it? Is the media responsible for it? I don't feel the media is ever 100% responsible for the actions of a human being. Even if a person thinks they can blame their actions on the media, at some level they have chosen to give up their free will.
But I do think the media is guilty of being profit driven. And in order to generate more profits, it generates whatever people will watch more of, and not what they claim to want. I belive it creates a cycle of excitation and is a form of acting out.
My religious belief is that premarital sex is a sin. But I believe there are many ways that all people sin. I feel more strongly that sex is wrong for all minors. I don't even agree that minors should be allowed to marry, even with parental consent.
I think intercourse for minors is a self-destructive act because (1) No method of birth control is foolproof. (2) The risk of STDs, some of which can be fatal and others of which can turn one into a lifelong carrier. (When I was in high school I knew a girl one grade up who was diagnosed with cervical cancer.) (3) I feel sex is also a deep emotional bond that should be created only with a person one has a lifelong commitment with.
What to do about it? I support the philosophy that people should have integrity and not be influenced overly by fads or media. Of course, how does one go about inculcating this idea, as indoctrination is contrary to the philosopy itself? I think it is fair to promote the philosophy to those who are susceptible to media influence. I'm sickened when I see the message of integrity used to sell tennis shoes. I think such abuse of the ethic of integrity is nearly as bad as actual nudity on TV. Not that I would see it censored. What I mainly do is hardly ever watch commercial TV. If I actually see something on TV that bothered me, I would consider writing a letter of protest to the network and station.
Do you think there's too much sex on TV? Do you think this cheapens sex? What should be done about it?
I'm not really qualified to say since I mostly watch PBS. Though I find it interesting that I've heard of the show "Sex in the City" many times and don't know any of the character's names. It would seem they were sex objects, at least in how the show was reported on in the general media. I obviously believe that if folks are offended, they shouldn't watch.
Would you be willing to let your teenage son/daughter have sex under your roof? No. To prevent it I plan to be involved with my kids, know their friends and people they are dating. We don't allow dating before 16 anyway. I think the more important issue would be what kind of example I set, especially in terms of my self esteem for my daughters and personal responsibility for my sons. That may sound sexist, but women bear the brunt of physical consequences in pregnancy, HIV, and HPV transmission.
I know when I acted out as a teen, it was in the midst of my parent's separation ending in divorce. Maybe that's not the case for everyone, but statistically it happens often enough that it may be accepted as the norm by those who aren't thinking for themselves.
What if despite my best efforts, my kids acted out sexually anyway? I'd work with them on finding out if there is something they feel they are lacking in life and why they can't channel their impulses less destructively. Failure to cope with sexual impulses as a teen will probably not fix itself and may correlate to lack of impulse control in other areas like overeating and laziness that would interfere with them reaching their goals.
Posts: 11017 | Registered: Apr 2003
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posted
One thing we can do is to emulate what happened to abercrombie and fitch. Their catalogs promoted 3-way sex and other material mainstream America felt uncomfortable with. The result was a decline in sales and a tone down of group sex related behavior. Consumers drive decisions. We, as consumers, must educate ourselves in what we are supporting with each purchase. It is on our shoulders to change companies’ behavior, and we have plenty of power to change behavior. I love boycotts!
posted
For once I'm trying not to read other responses before posting my own.
quote:First, do you think young people today have "sex on the brain" more than their parents or grandparents did? Has sex become to "normalized"?
I think sex has become more of an open part of society. I think there is more pressure on teens to have sex. I think it's more glamourized.
quote:How do you feel about premarital sex? Do you think premarital sex has become more widely accepted, especially among young people? What do you want to do to change it? Is the media responsible for it?
I think premarital sex has more of a downside than an upside. I think that it is more widely accepted. Recently a 13-year-old girl was beaten insensible (she was in a coma) by another 13-year-old over jealousy over a boy. What is a 13-year-old doing with a boyfriend? It's nuts. For my daughters, I let them know that sex is something that is for adults who love each other and are married to each other. It's easier to let your standards slip than to bring them up, so I want to raise them with high standards for themselves. I've made a lot of mistakes that I will share with them when the time is right, so they can hopefully avoid those same mistakes. As far as the media is concerned, I would look at tv and movies for glamourizing sex. It's not just the institution of tv and media, it's also certain celebrities (anyone say Britney?) who think they have to show off everything to be accepted.
quote:Do you think there's too much sex on TV? Do you think this cheapens sex? What should be done about it?
Absolutely and absolutely. Parents need to be aware of what their kids are watching. I was semi-watching Dr. Phil last week on a day my kids got home from school early. The show was about mean girls, so I let my daughter Cayla (8) watch it. My daughters get teased on the bus and at school, so I thought this would bring on a discussion. Unfortunately, I wasn't paying close enough attention when they previewed the next day's show about sexual confidence. Now Cayla wants to know what "the big O" is. Great - thanks, Dr. Phil. (*slaps herself again for not paying attention*)
quote:Would you be willing to let your teenage son/daughter have sex under your roof?
My first reaction is absolutely not. I always tell them that it's for people who are in love with each other and married to each other.
------------------------ I think parents (including me) need to have a firm idea of what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior for their children and make sure their children know what that is. It goes way beyond sex and into what makes society work. If kids grow up thinking they can do whatever they can get away with, things are just going to get worse. Kids are doing things without worrying about consequences because parents aren't dealing them out.
I'm 43, married, LDS, and live in Iowa. Carol Foltz
edited to add level of education: high school grad, some college (haven't attained 2-year degree, though I keep trying ... ) and current job: paginator (news page designer at daily newspaper)
posted
I'm female, 47 years old, and never been married. And you may quote me if you wish.
First, do you think young people today have "sex on the brain" more than their parents or grandparents did? Has sex become to "normalized"?
No. I just think sex is talked about more, and more publicly, now - which I think is a generally healthy thing. Not that I want to hear the explicit details of anyone's sex life, thanks very much. But as a general topic, I don't have a problem with it.
I have to say that don't understand what you mean by sex becoming "too normalized". As far as I can see, sexual activity is a normal biological function. What I think is unhealthy is the way our (American) society has of doing things like calling having sex "doing the nasty". I have never, ever understood the attitude that sex is "dirty" or "bad".
How do you feel about premarital sex? Do you think premarital sex has become more widely accepted, especially among young people? What do you want to do to change it? Is the media responsible for it?
I think premarital sex between consenting adults is their business and no one else's. I think premarital sex is more widely accepted, among all demographic groups, and that the media probably is at least partially responsible for this wider acceptance - or at least the openly wider acceptance - of premarital sex. I just wish that there would be more emphasis on the emotional aspects of a physical relationship, which are very important, rather than just the focus on the physical aspects of sex.
Do you think there's too much sex on TV? Do you think this cheapens sex? What should be done about it?
I think that TV gives the impression that more people have a lot more sex than they really do. I don't know if that answers your question. I think that how sex is often depicted on TV does more to cheapen it, if it does, than the very fact that it is portrayed. The thing that I find more objectionable than dramatic portrayals of sexual activity are certain advertisements for drugs that "elevate libido", with their implied message that if an individual doesn't want sex every day, there is something wrong with them.
What do I think should be done about it? I think portraying sexual activity more realistically would be good. As it is, media portrayals of sex generally tend to treat it as either dirty and degrading or glamorous. I remember back in the day when people referred to sex as "the facts of life". I think it might be good to portray it like that more, as just another facet of a person's life, not to be denigrated and not to be elevated to be be more than it really is.
Would you be willing to let your teenage son/daughter have sex under your roof?
I don't know that I have a right to answer this question, as I don't have children.
Edit to expand on answer to third set of questions.
quote: Consumers drive decisions. We, as consumers, must educate ourselves in what we are supporting with each purchase. It is on our shoulders to change companies’ behavior, and we have plenty of power to change behavior. I love boycotts!
That's why I don't go to Carl's Jr. anymore.
Posts: 6367 | Registered: Aug 2003
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quote:First, do you think young people today have "sex on the brain" more than their parents or grandparents did??
No, they're just more open about their thoughts on sex than their parents or grandparents. The thoughts and amount thereof have been the same for decades.
quote:Has sex become to "normalized"?
I don't think it was ever viewed as "abnormal", but I think I know what you mean. Yes, there is definitely less resistance to sex between certain types of people.
quote:How do you feel about premarital sex?
Like Anna, I believe that premarital sex should only be practiced between two people that know they're going to spend the rest of their life together. However, I also believe that the surest way to know you're going to spend the rest of your life with another person is a marriage license taken seriously.
quote:Do you think premarital sex has become more widely accepted, especially among young people?
Yeah.
quote:What do you want to do to change it?
Not much on a personal level. I feel it's just going to accelerate, as it has been for a century. The best I can do is watch myself, my family, and my friends, and be apathetic of others.
quote:Is the media responsible for it?
Not completely, but they're definitely a large part of it. This, of course, isn't limited to the "naughty, naughty media" of the last two or three decades, but stretches back to the first sensual moment ever presented in a book.
quote:Do you think there's too much sex on TV?
Yes.
quote:Do you think this cheapens sex?
Yes.
quote:What should be done about it?
Like in the earlier question, I don't think much can be done about it on a human level this side of tossing molotovs through the station windows (Heh, I can't wait for the violence topic. ). I suppose letting this reality tv fad pass wouldn't hurt, though.
quote:Would you be willing to let your teenage son/daughter have sex under your roof?
No. Unless, of course, they're 18 or 19 and married.
quote:Don't feel like you have to answer everything!
Oh, sure, leave that to the end of your post. This was a trap!
quote: No, they're just more open about their thoughts on sex than their parents or grandparents. The thoughts and amount thereof have been the same for decades.
I kinda feel like people our age don't really know what the people who have been around for decades were thinking.
Posts: 6367 | Registered: Aug 2003
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posted
Well, I have a fairly good idea what my parents and grandparents were thinking through our conversations here and there, and I can only assume that they "inherited" (term used loosely) those thoughts from their parents and grandparents. Or at least from their parent's and grandparent's peers.
Posts: 2292 | Registered: Aug 2003
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posted
Before I forget, I'm 18 and live in Canada.
"First, do you think young people today have 'sex on the brain' more than their parents or grandparents did? Has sex become to 'normalized'?"
I don't think that the sex drive of the world has increased by dramatic proportions. However, sex is more accepted by society and more encouraged by our peers than it used to be. We see suggestive ads, billboards, commercials, and raunchy movies and TV programs every time we turn around. It's everywhere.
"How do you feel about premarital sex? Do you think premarital sex has become more widely accepted, especially among young people? What do you want to do to change it? Is the media responsible for it?"
Premarital sex is wrong, wrong, wrong. Virginity should be saved, treasured, until the marriage bed. It is definitely more accepted nowadays; I think those who haven't had premarital sex are in the minute minority in my age group.
Do you think there's too much sex on TV? Do you think this cheapens sex? What should be done about it?
There is way too much sex (not to mention violence, graphic images, etc., etc) on TV. I constantly have to supervise my little brother (he's 11) when he's watching TV because there's just too much junk on there for him to be safe from it. Kids are being exposed to sex when they're way too young, and it's showing in society.
Would you be willing to let your teenage son/daughter have sex under your roof?
Ahem. HECK no.
I would also like to add a few things. I believe that the state of families nowadays is greatly contributing to the amount of sexual activity in society. While this applies to men/women who have had affairs, I am speaking namely about the youth. I read in some book somewhere (sorry, I don't know the title or anything) that young females are compelled to more sexual activity when they have no father/ have a less-than-desirable father. The attention they do not receive from that particular male figurehead they seek elsewhere, in other males in the form of sex. I am not saying that only girls are the only ones out there having premarital sex; obviously, they need someone to have sex with; nor am I blaming every father everywhere for their promiscuous daughter(s). It was something that hit home for me personally, as I can be quite the attention-seeker, and I thought I'd mention it. No offense is to be taken.
Posts: 165 | Registered: Apr 2004
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posted
Age 30, Marketing Writer, Spanish Fork, Utah, B.A. in English, working on M.S. in Technical Writing.
First, do you think young people today have "sex on the brain" more than their parents or grandparents did? Has sex become to "normalized"?
I don't think young people have sex on the brain any more than older generations have. However, there is definitely more knowledge about sex among young people because it's being thrown at them from every direction. There is usually no distinction between the beauty and goodness of sex and the harm and ugliness that result from its abuse.
How do you feel about premarital sex? Do you think premarital sex has become more widely accepted, especially among young people? What do you want to do to change it? Is the media responsible for it?
I am opposed to premarital sex. I see the more widespread acceptance of it as an erosion of the values that hold society together. People don't understand what they're getting into and how it harms society. They're discarding what could be of great value to them, something that would be a great strength to their personal and family lives, for something very fleeting and insubstantial. Changing it would require (re)teaching some traditional values and living them as examples.
The media isn't solely responsible, but for the most part it behaves like the most irresponsible, flaky, flighty person anyone has ever met. As a source for upholding values, most media sources are absolutely undependable.
Do you think there's too much sex on TV? Do you think this cheapens sex? What should be done about it?
Yes, there's too much sex on TV, explicit, implied, laughed about, and degraded into an animal act. What can be done about it? Stop watching the shows that do it. See how fast "values" come back to the screen.
Would you be willing to let your teenage son/daughter have sex under your roof?
No way, no how, under no circumstances.
Posts: 144 | Registered: Apr 2003
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One more thing: how did you feel about Janet Jackson's superbowl stunt? Were you mad, sad, happy, titillated...apathetic? Should the FCC be doing something about it?
Posts: 1784 | Registered: Jun 2001
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I was mostly apathetic, but also a little saddened that somebody with that much seniority in the music business would stoop to that level.
Posts: 2292 | Registered: Aug 2003
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posted
She just wanted attention. Right after that stunt her songs got more airplay. It was clearly caculated and obnoxious, but it's NO BIG DEAL. In Europe people show breasts all the time... Only in the US is it a big deal.
Posts: 9942 | Registered: Mar 2003
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"Do you think young people today have 'sex on the brain' more than their parents or grandparents did?"
No, I think we're just much more open about it now.
"Has sex become too 'normalized'?"
Yes! So many other students I know have simply slept with someone for the sake of having done so; they've put absolutely no thought into either the potential repurcussions of their actions, or into their significance. Having sex does change things (or so I've been told) and that's something most teens, I believe, honestly aren't ready for. At the very least, they aren't taking it seriously enough. If you're going to sleep with someone, at the very least have some feelings for and thoughts towards them aside from "getting some".
"How do you feel about premarital sex?"
I'll let you know when I figure that one out for myself. It's a complicated issue and one that I've honestly been trying to sort out for some time now. My first thoughts are towards abstinence until marriage but I'm not entirely sure if that's just my upbringing talking or whether those actually are my own beliefs. Until I'm sure, though... Abstinence never hurt anyone. Not waiting for marriage, however, has.
"Do you think premarital sex has become more widely accepted, especially among young people?"
This is just something I've noticed on my own but, it seems as if there is now more shock at the discovery that someone hasn't had sex whereas, in the past, the reverse was true.
"What do you want to do to change it? Is the media responsible for it?"
I have no idea as to the former. As for the latter question... without a doubt. Generally, people won't do something unless you sanction it positively and that role of granting acceptance, I think, has definitely been filled by the media and its representations of sex as commonplace, "normal", and even expected.
"Do you think there's too much sex on TV? Do you think this cheapens sex? What should be done about it?"
Yes, yes, and, again, I have no idea.
"Would you be willing to let your teenage son/daughter have sex under your roof?"
Not a chance in h*ll.
Posts: 1548 | Registered: Aug 2002
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