Lecture Notes

Among all types of media, television has been the most prevalent and pervasive. By the time an American teenager finishes high school, they will have spent more time watching television than in the classroom or sleeping. While the frequency of TV viewing has been increasing, so has the number of sexual references in programs. Television is a major source of information about sex for teenagers, and it contributes to many aspects of young people's sexual knowledge, beliefs, and behavior. In a study by Kunkel, et al. in 2005, found that television shows geared toward teenagers have more sexual content than adult-oriented shows. In the accumulated volume of media research, media content does not reflect the realities of the social world. Rather, the media images of women and men reflect and reproduce a set of stereotypical and unequal, but changing, gender roles. Sexist advertising and stereotypical roles in comedy series and dramas may have an effect on the way some men and women view themselves. Television exposure does not affect all people in the same way, but it's evident that the sexual double standard that does exist taps into our ambivalent feelings regarding sex equality, morality, and even violence.