TV Sex Should Show Consequences

The article “Teens Flow to ‘Creek’ ” (Calendar, March 3) is the latest of several recent stories about the propriety of showing teen sex on television. These pieces have been triggered by the program “Dawson’s Creek,” which is “pushing the envelope” in terms of the sexual content considered acceptable on prime-time broadcast television. While the show is new, the issues it raises are not.

It is well established that the stories children and adolescents watch on television can influence their lives in important ways. Heavy exposure to violent depictions can lead to a heightened risk of adopting aggressive attitudes and behaviors. Product purchase decisions are shaped significantly by TV advertising campaigns. Similarly, media portrayals involving sexuality also contribute to the sexual socialization of young people.

As teens deal with peer and social pressures involving sex, many grapple with questions like, “When should I start having sex?,” “Will my friends still like me if I don’t?,” “Will I get a sexually transmitted disease or become pregnant?” and “How can I protect myself?”

But many teens aren’t informed when making decisions about sex--most teens say information about sex and pregnancy often comes too late and doesn’t have enough basic facts about contraception.

Every day, teens are making decisions about sex based on what they do know, and that knowledge is commonly influenced by what they see on TV. In fact, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation survey, 54% of teens say they learn “a lot” or “some” information about sex and birth control from TV shows and movies.

So far, the debate about “Dawson’s Creek” seems to focus on whether television should or should not depict teens having sex or talking explicitly about their desires and their conquests. Many of the participants in this debate employ a moral perspective, with opponents of the show arguing that it makes sex seem acceptable for teens, and network officials arguing that it merely reflects reality.

While debate at this level is important, we would suggest that the public discussion about sex on television has overlooked a crucial consideration. Whether “Dawson’s Creek” stays or goes, messages involving sexual themes and issues are an ongoing staple of television that has been around for decades, albeit presented in varying degrees of subtlety. We believe the debate should address the question of how well television conveys the message that having sex requires attention to critical issues involving the risks and responsibilities of sexual activity.

By risks and responsibilities, we refer to the potential negative consequences of unplanned or unprotected sex that can irreparably alter a young person’s life, and the precautions that could be taken to prevent some of the risks. The risks posed to sexually active teens are high. Each year, about 3 million teens acquire a sexually transmitted disease, and almost 1 million teen girls become pregnant, with about 78% of those pregnancies unplanned. In addition, 1 in every 4 Americans newly infected with HIV is under 22.

In a 1996 Kaiser Family Foundation / Children Now study conducted at UC Santa Barbara, we examined three full weeks of network programs aired in the first hour of prime time--the so-called family hour. We found that 3 out of 4 shows contained at least some talk about sex or sexual behavior, and about a third had scenes in which the primary topic was sex. We even encountered 15 examples of intercourse depicted or strongly implied. Obviously, that’s quite a lot of messages about sexuality at a time when young people view in huge numbers.

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The most striking finding for us, though, was that less than 1 in 10 of the scenes involving sex included any mention or depiction of safe sex practices or the possible health consequences of unprotected sex. On the other hand, a few shows we studied (6% of programs with sexual content) not only mentioned those issues, but also devoted entire episodes to them. Television shows that are popular among young people that depict the risk and responsibilities of sex can be a powerful tool for educating teens about important sexual health issues.

In any debate about sex on television, it is important to also consider how TV shows depict sex, and what impact that message might have on teens. If part of television’s message about sex could involve the risks and responsibilities that naturally go along with sexual activity, we could be helping young people make better--perhaps even lifesaving--decisions in their own lives.

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Dale Kunkel is an associate professor of communication at UC Santa Barbara who conducted the family hour study for the Kaiser Family Foundation. Ulla G. Foehr is program associate in the Entertainment Media & Public Health program at the Kaiser Family Foundation.