Television viewing generally drops during adolescence as young people start to spend more time socializing, doing schoolwork, and using other media, such as music, video games, computers and the Internet.
Because watching television is a relaxing activity, requiring low levels of concentration, teens tend to watch TV when they're alone or bored. But even though viewing drops during these years, it's still important for parents to know what their kids are watching.
For teens, television is a major source of information about sex. A survey conducted in 1997 by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 61 per cent of young teens, ages 13-15, rated entertainment media as their top source of information on sexuality and sex health. This should concern parents because although two-thirds of TV shows contain sexual content, only one in ten includes any reference to safe sex or the consequences of unprotected sex.
The main focus of many teen dramas is sex, with each episode containing countless verbal and visual references to sexual activity. These highly sexualized portrayals of relationships bear little resemblance to the real lives of teens—and are generally not balanced by clear messages about safe and healthy attitudes towards sex.
An article in Rolling Stone magazine summarized what teen shows tell us about today's young people:
"I, for one, am sick of turning on the TV and seeing a bunch of amazing looking people in tiny clothes when I've just come from school, where there are people of ALL ethnic backgrounds and ALL different sizes."
Source: Speak Out, MNet's discussion group for youth |
- they all look sexy
- they are all Caucasian
- they don't seem to have parents
- they don't need an education
- they find high school boring
- they live in a world that doesn't resemble reality at all
The early teen years are considered a crucial time for the development of healthy self esteem. Insecurities over attractiveness and weight are increasing while at the same time teens are bombarded with TV images of impossible thinness and beauty. It's important that young people understand that most of the images they see on TV are unrealistic and unattainable.
Because teens are usually not supervised when watching television, parents have to make a concerted effort to find out what they are watching. You can help lessen the negative effects of TV if you:
- watch your teens' favourite shows with them occasionally—if they'll let you!
- use television as a springboard for talking about topics such as sex, AIDS, smoking, drug and alcohol use, divorce and peer pressure
- talk about what you find objectionable on TV, and ask their opinions
- encourage teens to analyze and question what they see on TV
- steer kids towards diverse, good quality programming such as science shows, documentaries, news, realistic teen dramas
- watch music videos with your kids and discuss the often-sexist images of women and the representations of masculinity
