Sex and The Media and its Effects on Society

Sex and The Media and its Effects on Society

Since the beginning of the world, different species have received categorization as either male or female. For the continuation of the species and reproduction, the male and female must engage in sexual activity. In human beings, the sexual activity aimed at reproduction is known as copulation or mating. Pleasure is another reason why human nature participates in sexual activity. Sex is an integral part of human existence (Birken, 2019). Some aspects of sexuality are as a result of the culture in an individual’s environment. Some of these aspects are courtship and sexual compatibility.

Different views of sex exist, which have evolved due to the influence of media. Masturbation is a sexual activity where only one person is involved, and he or she performs stimulation. Penetrative sex includes two people, whereas there is also group sex involving more than two participants (Spiro, 2017). The use of sex fundamentally for reproduction, but over time these views have changed. Historically, the passing on of sexual norms was the responsibility of parents, elders, the social, and religious leaders. The media in our modern societies has become the purveyor of sexual standards. Access to media channels brings an introduction to new views on sexual models (Birken, 2019).

Evolution of Media

Media is anything that can be used to communicate and pass information. The media, through the ages, have had significant changes. Newspapers were the only source of data beginning in 1704 (Gough, 2016). Papers generally helped push political agenda and advertisements. Freedom of the press was very significant. In 1860, machine evolution made the production of newspapers easier and faster. Readers wanted more entertainment, and those responsible for production started including pictures, cartoons, and editorial pages. In 1896, the progressive era began, which brought about transparency in politics and government through print media. With print media came magazines. Magazines were more specific in the content written about (Gough, 2016).

Print Media Effects on Sex

Since the mid-1980s, magazines have covered sexually related topics widely. The information displayed has taught the readers to have a particular perception of their sexuality. Young girls discover information about contraception, abortion, and pregnancy from magazines (Miller, 2018). These magazines have set a standard of beauty and physical appearance. Most of the advertisements found in magazines contain beauty products and articles on dating. Magazines have taught teenagers to seek perfection in their pursuit of beauty as the ultimate goal of finding suitable mates. They have become guides on sexual norms.

In the 1920s, radio news such as the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) started with airing dramas and news programs (Miller, 2018). In 1930, during the great depression, radio news started featuring talk shows, educational content, and religious shows. By 1940 most households had a radio. With time professional radio channels increased, they chose their frequencies, locations, and broadcasting signals.

The entrance of television brought a combination of pictures and radio. In the 1950s, more stations were being bought, and demand for creation rose. More channels increased with expansion in programming as well as their programs. In 1990, almost all households globally had access to tv sets. The programs aired have diversified to include news, talk shows, religious programs, entertainment such as movies and music (Miller, 2018).

Television and its Impact on Sex

Most households which have television sets leave them on for an average of seven hours a day. Children spend the better part of the day watching tv, especially during school holidays. In the television landscape, sexual content features broadly in the form of programs or adverts. Most of the sexual content watched by teenagers involve characters talking about sex. These sexual talks aim at increasing teenagers’ curiosity and their desire to indulge and experiment. Some of the behaviors displayed are flirting and kissing, which imply sexual intercourse. Television programs have themes centered on decaying marriages and the rise of infidelities. These infidelities mean freedom of choice to have multiple sexual partners as well as different sexual orientations. This sexual talk frequency encourages indulgence in sexual behaviors among teenagers (Hilmes, 2018). In the programs, sexual intercourse takes place between adults, but the risks associated sare never shown. Very few programs show precaution or the consequences related to sex outside marriage. Most advertisements and applications depict sex as a game where men view women as sexual objects and the goal being recreation. Competition for the most physically attractive is a dominant theme in 81% of the programs. People’s minds are, therefore, molded by the perception of perfect body size (Hilmes, 2018). Young ladies are significantly affected by the desire to have petite body sizes for them to achieve better self-perception.

Exposure to sexual content on television affects sexual behaviors and attitudes (Hilmes, 2018). Soap operas depict single motherhood as healthy, resulting in a high population of women who engage in sex with the only motive being to bear children without attachment to the man. Marriage, on the other hand, is not as pleasant and without one, can engage in unprohibited sex. Marriage, in return, is negatively perceived by many due to the influence of television. Exposure to television results in a higher percentage of young people engaging in sexual activity at an earlier age in their lives. (Hilmes, 2018).

Movies expose people from an early age to sexual activity and mold their attitudes towards sex. 90% of the film contains sexual content, and the content is either heavy kissing or explicit videos of adults engaging in sexual intercourse (Ward, 2016). Teenagers who watch movies from a young age have a high likelihood of being sexually active early on. Their sexual behaviors are hazardous, with a high percentage of participants having unprotected casual sex. These adults also have multiple sex partners as compared to those who are not exposed to these movies early. Teenagers seek pleasure because of clouded judgment leading them to seek stimulation from watching movies. Because teenage is the formative stage, their personalities develop depending on the content they are exposed to. Videos use a subtle messaging system, and the viewers are unable to differentiate between what they watch and real-life situations. Therefore, viewers are at risk of solving real-life experiences based on what they observe (Ward, 2016).

Music videos have dominant themes, such as romance, relationships, and sexual activity. Music videos combine favorite musicians with visual images of sex elements. The influential component of music is increased by favorite musicians who act as role models for most of the viewers (Ward, 2016). Some music such as rap music portrays themes based on violence and sex in their lyrics and videos. Such outlawed content draws many youths because it identifies with their rebellious nature. Imagery containing women dominating in terms of sex is rampant and resonates, with many women interested in unsafe sex. Many of those who view this music identify with the characters and perceive what they see as realism. The extent to which they identify themselves with this content determines the level they get aroused.

Internet Age

In the early 1980s, the cable was invented, which allowed viewers greater freedom in what they watch. Internet expansion in the 2000s revolutionized the media. Viewers can now watch what they choose by clicking a button, and they can record programs. Information can soon reach millions of irrespective of their physical location.

Evolution of Social media

Personal computers began in the 1990s, which brought about the beginning of social media. Social media refers to the various platforms used in communicating online. These platforms include messaging channels or those based on user profiles such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Viber, and Instagram. Some are video-based such as YouTube and others for email such as Yahoo and Gmail (Tuten et al.,2017). 2.6 billion people worldwide use social media, and the numbers have increased within 20 years. Globally, adolescents spend an average of 7.5 hours daily on several media platforms. The interaction with media is higher than that with parents or with older people. The teens are exposed to more than two media platforms at a time. Access to media is more accessible now because of cell phones and personal laptops (Tuten et al.,2017).

Sexual Content in Media

Sexual content in the media comes in the form of music videos, explicit imagery, messages in advertisements, and pornography. Teenagers and young adults use this information to build their confidence. Some of the content searched by people include menstruation, sexual health, pregnancy, and contraception. Those targeted by the media mostly endorse the sexual content displayed in digital media; for instance, content targeting teenagers receive support from the teens (McGlynn et al.,2017). More than 37% of all websites have sexual content. Such websites include pornographic websites, which contributed significantly to internet growth. Video games contain characters who are sexualized and who appeal to both genders.

Social media has become a fundamental part of human existence, and by 2021 the number of users is expected to rise to 3 billion. The media has no limits on what g because of the freedom given to the users. Music and movies provide explicit images and videos which has no age limit. The media allows the users to create and distribute their content freely; viewers are therefore free to select and incorporate what they choose. Between the ages 12-18, a young person tries to find their identity and establish their orientations. In this age, young people form romantic relationships, discover their sexual orientations, and from sexual norms.oes to the  This is also the age where their bodies begin maturing, and their curiosity increases in how to become more attractive (McGlynn et al.,2017). Between 16-18 years, most young people engage in sexual intercourse with their friends or schoolmates. From 24 years, long-term relationships are established, and the sexual behaviors learned in teenage continue.

Reality shows, romantic films are depicted differently in social media compared to reality. The media portrays an ideal image of the man and woman.  The press indicates that a woman needs to be thin while men are well built to be sexually attractive. Healthy, satisfying sexual behavior is shown to be between ideal individuals creating perceptions about attractiveness.

Social media has different methods in the ways that it depicts sexual content. Messaging system such as WhatsApp provides various methods of networking. The platform allows sexting, which involves sending messages with sexual connotations as well as nude images. Peers can share content and generate content. Sexting is used between people in relationships and those with a mutual friendship with benefits. Sexting allows the sharing of new sexual norms and changes perceptions about sex. Many teens have engaged in sending nude or seminude photos or videos (McGlynn et al.,2017).

Pornography refers to a portrayal of sexual content or subjects with the main motive being sexual arousal (Tarrant, 2016). The content is ordinarily visual and is shown in the sexualized activity — pornography dated back to the invention of photography in the 19^th century. Models would pose in the nude, and the pictures were sold in millions of copies. Pornographic content significantly contributed to popularizing the web — initially, pornography sites required to log in credentials and were a cheap means of adding explicit material. Pornographic sites have evolved and have integrated different payment options, such as credit cards and PayPal. Porn sites have grown to produce live video and have incorporated downloading options. Other methods of pornography include video conferencing, where models perform in Infront of webcams. The pornography industry has allowed teens and even has teen content. Worldwide distribution is easy and allows anyone to become a porn star. The porn market has grown immensely and generates an average of $20 billion annually (Tarrant, 2016). Pornhub videos, for example, in 2016, were watched 92 billion times, and the site had 64 million visitors daily.

The level of attention given to sexual content in the media determines how much the viewer will be involved in the material. Highly suggested sexual content viewers will be more likely to engage in sexual activity. A need to participate in the experience creates a new image and may change the earlier held views of sexuality. Emotional and physical arousal focuses the individual on the content and creates a retrieval function on the viewer’s brain. Preoccupation with the viewing leads to addiction because of the increased exposure to such material. Sexual content appeals to many who identify with the characters. The characters often seem to have a desirable life, and the viewer is likely to engage in activities that the character has been involved in. Sexual media content, therefore, informs, models, and guides people resulting in a pre-behavioral outcome. Over time the viewers, due to consistent exposure, adopt views of the real world as portrayed in the media content. A distorted view of sexual behavior, therefore, arises with time. Among teenagers, media shows that many are engaging in sexual activity and encourages those not participating to begin.

Effects on the Society

Excessive exposure to sites such as Facebook brings about social isolation resulting in depression. Social media usage without limits leads to addiction. Depression is likely to lead to unsafe sexual behaviors and other destructive behaviors. In addition to depression, anxiety and low self-esteem are resultant effects of social media exposure. Sexual attractiveness is depicted as the ultimate goal of all social media models. Ladies especially are strongly affected by low self-esteem. Low self-esteem can lead to behaviors such as binge eating or anorexia to achieve the ideal body size (Tarrant, 2016).

Unsafe sexual behaviors are on the rise due to the widespread use of the internet. Some of these behaviors are multiple sexual partners, unprotected sex, and sexual violence. The emphasis in the media is achieving sexual pleasure, which does not show the consequences of sexual activity. Risky sexual activity without protection leads to unwanted pregnancies or teen pregnancies. These unintended pregnancies lead to high abortion rates. In many countries, abortion is illegal, and the measures are taken to procure an abortion lead to fatalities or long-term health effects — those teenagers who do not acquire abortions drop-out of schools and end up having children with different fathers. Children of single parents are at a higher risk of developing behavioral patterns because of the lack of the right home environment, and they are more likely to grow in poverty. Sexually transmitted diseases are rampant with the indulgence with multiple sex partners. Unprotected sex, especially in group sex, leads to contracting diseases, and the risk of spreading the disease is also high.

Sexual coercion, such as incest and rape, are also on the rise in society. Movies that depict violence portray women as sex objects and increasing the chances of rape in society. Sexual victimization is a resultant effect of adults with poor self-view, such as low self-esteem.

The pornographic industry feeds on the exploitation of men, women, and children’s bodies. Most of the people addicted to pornography indulge in other methods of stimulation, such as prostitution, drug abuse, and trafficking. Pornography shows women as sexual objects to be used for pleasure by men (Tarrant, 2016). The images show women as part of many alternatives to sexual perversions. Pornography affects marriages due to the promise of quicker satisfaction without any real attachment (Tarrant, 2016). The freedom to have engaged sex without marriage has led to the decay in the marital landscape, with a higher number of divorces being reported annually globally.