Monday, November 3, 2008

TV and SEX

CNN published a piece today on a RAND study linking teen pregnancy to watching sex on television. First, read the piece here. After reading i want you to address a few questions.
1. Do you think the results are correct? Does watching more sex on tv lead to teen pregnancy?
2. What other factors are also leading to teen pregnancy? In the piece one person says that too many things other than parenting are always blamed for teen pregnancy. Do you agree? Could good parenting counter the effects of watching too much sex on TV.
3. Could there be a third variable going on here? Teen pregnancy is on the rise. Sex on TV is on the rise. The number of hours of TV watched is on the rise? What's going on?
4. The term Media Literacy is used. This means teaching children about the lies and manipulations that can be made in the media. (Basically you're taking a class in media literacy right now). Is there a place for this in the classroom? And how can we teach media literacy in the classroom when we are barely getting basic skills like reading and writing taught in the classroom?

29 comments:

Annie Bolduc said...

I read the piece and I do have to say that I partly disagree with it. Watching sex on television (and by sex I mean tv shows and not porn) does not make one person pregnant. It doesn't force anyone to have sex either. Sex is a decision two people make together and I honestly think that television has little to do with it.
I think that the most important factor that leads to teen pregnancy is the lack of education. I know that this is an extremely taboo subject, especially in a more conservative country. In Canada, we start having sex classes at a very young age, starting more general and becoming more and more serious and precise. If you look, the numbers of teenage pregnancy in Canada are extremely low. Actually, we have a problem with not enough babies being born every year. Once you know about sex, what to do, what are the risks and how to handle yourself, you are less likely to go and act deliberately and put yourself in a bad situation. Parents do need to talk with their kids, but if we all remember how we were when we were teenagers, we didn't truly listen to our parents. That is why schools needs to step up and start educating people on the issues.
I think that a good way to tach media literacy in classroom would be to show them things they like, and have them discuss it as a group. It would lead to interesting conversations and discussions and it would probably capture the attention a lot more than just through textbooks. It is proven, kids these days need more stimulation than before.

STACIES77 said...

I TOTALLY agree that sex on television has a lot to do with teen pregnancy being on the rise. The media portrays sex outside of marriage as a norm and totally acceptable behavior. You cannot even watch a commercial today without it containing a sexual innuendo.

The United States continues to have one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the world and almost twice as high as those of England, Wales, and Canada, but what these statistics fail to tell you is that Canada's abortion rate is at 57% vs United States at 34.9%.

You can have all the sex education in the world, but until society as a whole (media), reality tv shows, movies, etc. stops portaying sex outside of marriage, screwing around while married, and rampant permiscuity as an acceptable behavior; we will continue to have a rise in teen pregnancy. Instead of handing out condoms, schools need to be handing out Bibles! The Bible says in Hebrews 13:4 "Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous." This is clearly NOT the message being taught in media today!

name said...

I believe that the woman that said the problem is the parents had it right. Kids are going to learn about sex one way or the other. Whether its from television, friends, music, or books. Too many parents attempt to be a child's friend and not their parent. Trying to keep them happy and appeasing them isn't doing them any favors. That being said, unless you can develop an open and maturing relationship with your child, they're not going to be willing to share things like sexual thoughts and feelings with you. Parental responsibility is something that is alien to most people with kids these days. They have "the talk" with their children and then let it go at that. A teenager doesn't stop maturing and developing mentally or sexually at a certain age. Too much control and they will engage in sexual activity as a rebellion. Too little education about the dangers of sex and they will find out about it first hand.

I'm a Christian and I waited until I was married before I had sex. That's a very uncommon thing in this day and age. It was because I decided for myself not to have sex. Nobody ever talked to me about sex. I picked it all up on my own. However, I was smart enough to see the dangers and know that I wasn't mature enough yet for that in my life. Didn't prevent me from going through a divorce, but that's an entirely different topic.

Most teenagers today are bombarded with sexual messages from every direction. If you have a million voices telling you to do it and none telling you not to, of course they're going to try it to see what it's about. You can hand out all the literature and Bibles that you want and give all the classes in the world on sex. It won't educate a child. Without guidance and understanding they're just words.

Kayla Roberts said...

I do not believe these results are correct. I think kids are going to do whatever they want to do no matter what they watch, listen to, or what kind of parents they have. I mean I do not think anyone is to blame but that teenager. They know the difference between right and wrong. Having parents that talk to you is important. I mean that kid is still going to do what they want to do. My mother and I have become very close over the past two years for certain reasons and now I can talk to her about ANYTHING.

I do not know what other factors lead to teen pregnancy. Kids no what they are doing. If they know what sex is, then they know what sex does. I do not think the blame should be all on the parents or on television. You cannot keep your child locked up in a basement or be with them 24/7. They are going to be away from their parent, but it does help that the child knows she can talk to her mom about stuff she does. I know I can call my mom if I'm in a uncomfortable situation or call her to talk about what I should do at that moment with that problem. So a good relationship with your parent is a positive way to keep your kids from getting pregnant so early. But the parent should not have the full blame, the kid should have it.

Elizabeth Thoman said...

I'd like to clarify the term media literacy -- it's not so much teaching about "lies and manipulations" but rather empowering young people to critically analyze and evaluate what they are seeing and hearing through all kinds of media messages whether television, t-shirts or the internet. But more importantly media literacy is not itself a new subject to teach, rather it's an expanded understanding of "literacy" -- so no need to compete with teaching "reading and writing" -- today "reading and writing" is as much through media channels as print channels. I urge you to go to visit the website of the Nat'l Asso for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) --http://www.namle.net as well as the Center for Media Literacy - http://www.medialit.org and learn more about the burgeoning field of media literacy education and how it can prepare our youth for living productive, healthy and safe lives in their 21st century media culture.

Elizabeth Thoman
Founder / Center for Media Literacy

cheriem said...

I think that although the results may be somewhat factual, I don't think the TV influences anyone to get pregnant. Sex education begins at home. I strongly agree about open communication and talking to your child about sex. The TV should not teach your child, you should.
I believe that other factors leading to teenage pregnancy are not enough adult guidance and too much free time. My dad always told me that sports or other activities within the school were great ways to keep a teen out of trouble. He was right. If you are so busy with extracurricular activities...it definitely limits time for other activities.

I think the classroom is also a good place to teach sex education, but it has to come from home before it really sinks in.

Dr. Kevin D. Williams said...

wow. i didn't know we had people outside of class reading our blog. I'm honored to have ms. thoman comment on our blog. I thought i'd respond to some of her statements and clarify some of mine. Ms. Thoman is totally correct on her definition of media literacy. for brevity's sake, i was searching for some "punchwords" to describe media literacy.
As far as my comments on teaching reading and writing are concerned, i'm trying to convey what i have personally experienced in schools both in georgia and mississippi. When talkng with both principals and teachers, it is clear that little time can be spared in the classroom to address topics that will not be tested under Bush's "No Child Left Behind" evaluation methods. Thus i agree with Ms. Thoman that if media literacy is to be successfully taught in grade school it has to be incorporated into the existing curriculum. And there lies the problem. Teachers are stressed at work, underpaid, and not adequately trained to teach media literacy. Incorporating media literacy skills therefore frequently becomes the sole responsibility of the teacher. In other words, there aren't many resources (aka money and time) devoted to preparing these teachers at the school district level. To be honest, the most success i've witnessed is at the preschool and college levels (where curriculum is a bit more flexible). This is not to say strides have not been made in the media literacy effort, but much is left to be done. Follow Ms. Thoman's site and read more. I'll shut my mouth now. I'm pretty sure i just destroyed my own 2 paragraph rule.

Rani said...

I do not think that watching sex on tv makes kids want to go and get pregnant. Although it may make them think that it is okay and ease their mind about the decision to have sex. Most kids are going to do what they want and nobody can make them change their mind. Now I think that you must have parents that are open to talk with you about sex and should encourage your children not to do that is helpful for teenagers.

I am not really sure what else leads to teen pregnancy maybe peer pressure! Sometimes the girl has no intention and other talk her into it and she falls for what people tell her which I think is very stupid. Also parents should try and have a open relationship with thier children and talk with them about sex and how it can change thier lives.This does not mean that paretns or tv is to blame for teen pregnancy becasue no matter what kids will do what they want and can find the time to do it.

Torie Fowler said...

I disagree with the article. I do not believe that sex on television leads to teen pregnancy. I believe that parents are the main reason for teen pregnancy. I believe that if a parent were to sit down with a child and explain to them the consequences of sex and how pregnancy happens, than teenagers would not be getting pregnant. These days parents are wanting to be friends to their teenagers and the teenager has all the control. If parents would take control over their teenager then they would not be roaming around getting pregnant.

I believe that teen pregnancy is on the rise because parents don't have control over their children. I believe sex on TV is on the rise because it gets more viewers. I believe that the number of hours spent watching TV is on the rise because people are lazy and don't do anything but watch TV.

I believe that it should NOT be part of the classroom to learn about media literacy. That is a parent's job to do at home. The school should be used to teach the children useful knowledge that will lead them somewhere in life.

Shawna Pounds said...

I don’t think this article is 100% correct. Television can’t be blamed for our teens getting pregnant and neither can parents. Anyone that says parents are the blame really needs a reality check. As the parent of a 16 year old girl I had “the talk” the first time with my daughter when she was 9, and since then, about once or twice a month, we discuss some type of sexual topic (usually about her friends having sex). I have to make sure that I keep our lines of communication open by not “over” reacting when she comes to me with real life situations so she will always feel comfortable opening up to me…and if you don’t have a teen you just can’t imagine how uncomfortable those topics can be. I think this is the 1st step in combating teenage pregnancy. Open & honest communication is the key.
I also think that TV is going over board with sex. Yes, sex sells, but my goodness can’t a family watch Sunday night shows on Fox together without having to make the kids go to bed because “Family Guy” is coming on? All the child sees is a cartoon coming on that Mom & Dad want to watch without them…and I hate that my child feels like that.
As parents we have a morale duty to teach our children “media literacy” and to limit the shows and number of hours our children watch TV. The first line of defense to prevent teen pregnancy begins at home but, is only the beginning of the battle.

Sabrina said...

I have to say that I slightly disagree with the article. I do not think the results are correct, however I do feel like it has somewhat of an impact on teenage pregnancy. I feel that some teenagers become curious and want to try what they see on television. I feel that the other contributing factor that leads to teen pregnancy is the lack of sex education in the classrooms and in the community. Sex on TV will not be controlled but I do feel like teenage pregnancy can be controlled with the help of parents, sex education classes, and community involvement.

Media Literacy should be placed in the classroom. Yes it is the parents responisibility, but what is it going to hurt for that child to learn it at school as well as at home.

Jamayel Smith said...
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Jamayel Smith said...

I completely agree with this study and I feel that there is a correlation of having sex to early and shows that display sexual content. Shows that provide this content is an influence on those who watch it whether their a teenager or an adult. But the difference with teenagers and adults is that adults are experienced and mature enough to watch such content. Along with shows with sexual content, peer pressure is also another factor that influence teens having sex which leads to teen pregnancy. There are a number of things that result in teen pregnancy such as peer pressure, curiosity, bad parenting, and tv shows and movies. I feel that utimately its the teenagers choice but when all the measures that can equip a teen for these type of instances can eliminate teen pregnancy.

I feel that teaching children about lies and manipulation should be done in a parental setting. Its not the school's place to provide this type of counsel. The focus in school does not to change and should be based solely on academics.

Anonymous said...

I think that because teens are exposed to more sex on TV it is a contributing factor to teen pregnancy. In no way do I believe that because teens are watching shows which are sexual, that this is the leading or main cause of teen pregnancy. There are so many factors that lead to teen pregnancy from peer pressure to the way in which a child is raised. Good parenting is important, but sometimes other factors play a role. A parent can not shelter their child from every bad or indecent thing that goes on in the world, no matter how hard they try.

Sex has become an accepted part of society and it is no longer taboo to have sex outside of marriage. We are seeing teen pregnancy rise because it’s not that big of a deal anymore. It has been accepted by society, so therefore it is logical that teen pregnancy is on the rise. It’s no big deal. Teaching media literacy in the classroom to teens may have an impact on some students, but overall I think that teens are pressured so much by society and fall victim to these pressures.

Christen Reeves

Clara Caffey said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Clara Caffey said...

Yes I believe that watching more sex on TV can lead to teen pregnancy. People on TV having sex are portrayed as having an amazing time with unrealistic consequences (aside from TV shows that actually have characters that get STDs, pregnant, or other possible consequences). Watching these sexual actions probably increases the sex drive for teenagers who are growing and trying to get comfortable with their growing bodies. I don't think these teens realize the reality of what's going on. They just see the 'heat of the moment' and how it appears to look like it's great.

I don't think that sex on TV is the only culprit that influences teen pregnancy. I agree with the girl from the article that parents can probably be a factor in this issue. Some parents aren't comfortable talking about this (my parents never had the sex talk with me when I was a teenager) and then some family's just have conflict and the parents may not care. I do know some families who would have had the sex talk with the teenagers, but the teen is going to do what he or she wants. You can't make a person do anything. Eventually that person has to make the decision on his or her own.

I think other factors are stemmed from the society itself. Men are advertised on billboards in nothing but underwear, and the same goes for females in Victoria Secret commercials. Girls wear skirts up their butt and the whole world can see all of her goods when she bends over. I personally believe now a days that people don't need magazines or the TV to get a rise, just look around you. Breast are busting out of tops, midriff tops are showing skin, skinny geans show off plenty of booty... I think our society is making sex into a very public matter when it was a God given gift for two people to enjoy in private, and I also believe society is getting too comfortable with that idea of sex being everywhere. This leads me into saying that I don't really think it's appropriate to have sex education in schools. I took a sex education class and it was very humiliating for me. I think it's something that should be discussed with family. Sadly though, not all families will teach their children about these issues.

Clara

Sandy Ward said...

The article may have made some valid points, but I think the real issue always comes back to personal responsibility, that of parents and each of us as individuals. I think the rise could be partially attributable to the breakdown in the family structure and of parents who are too busy, either by choice or not, to spend time with their children. I do think also that television may portray a small part in the unrealistic way it portrays the lives of sexually promiscuous people, i.e. soap operas. The people don’t work, dress in beautiful clothes, are married multiple times, have affairs and life is just hunky dory. No wonder teens get an unrealistic view of how life really is.

While I think the concept of media literacy seems like a good idea, I do not think the school setting is the place for it. I think teachers currently have enough to do in a day without being responsible for fulfilling another parental role.

Unknown said...

Watching sex on television has les to do with teen pregnancy that good parenting. I believe that good sex education and being able to discuss these issues with parents is key in preventing teen pregnancy. I as a teen watched these type of shows and discussed them with my mother. I was educated on prevention of pregnancy.

I think that being able to talk to parents about such issues is a large factor in preventing teen pregnancy. Television does not force someone to have sex. It incites curiosity about sex, but not being educated is what leads to pregnancy. Teen pregnancy is preventable.

Matthew said...

Let me first say that there is no perfect way to keep teenagers from having sex or other related activities. With that being said, I also don't believe that television can be fully blamed nor should parents. Social factors used in the study such as demographics and family makeup hold part of the answer. Television shows, saturated or not with this material, are fictional for the most part. It is sad that we have to be told when a story is based on a true story due to its nature. The correlation between the amount of viewing and content can be skewed because of our perception that teenage pregnancy is inevitable in our country. We promise to teach better values in our young people today while also saying that we can only do so much. By doing so, we resign ourselves and accept whatever results follow instead of actively teaching and being advocates to keep this from happening to more families.

Parents, yes those who are most directly affected other than the actual individuals, need to stop avoiding topics and step up to the plate. Though you may not believe it, you are the first line of defense in most circumstances whether you like it or not. Taking time to talk with your children about these matters may not be thrilling but it is a priority and responsibility. A personal story from you or another could prove to be the difference in another generation beginning earlier than expected.

Matt Dispenza

Anonymous said...

I do feel that the studies are correct, and that there is a link between teen pregnancy and sex on television. This is not to say that sex on television is the only factor that contributes to teen pregnancy. I do not feel that sex on television condones teen pregnancy. Rather, it condones for a sexual society and pregnancy is a mere consequence of such sexual activity. Further, I do feel that a teen's parental figures play a role in teen pregnancy. I see a strong correlation from a personal perspective; I know too many people who did not have strong parental figures and had to grow up way too fast, because they did not have someone to guide them in the right direction. Although, this is not to say that good parenting will fix the teen pregnancy problem. Other factors can include a teen's peers, education, social environment, and yes, even television.

There could absolutely be a third factor to this equation. Our society is now a sexually-driven society. There are many people who are against this type of society, yet no one has made an effort to educate teens about the consequences of sexual activity. Further, teens are becoming aware of sex at an earlier and earlier age. I think about the show "Gossip Girl" a show about teen and written for teens, yet this is a highly sexual show. Teens are so impressionable at that age, and a show like this gives the green light for such sexual activity. I do not know if one can specifically point the finger at one person or thing, but I do that our society as itself is a major issue. I do feel that medial literacy should be incorporated into our educational system, in particular, in high school, but I do feel that our basic skills must be valued first and foremost. Perhaps, through after-school programs...

Hearst said...

I think tv may have a little to do with teen pregnancies. I still don't think it is the problem. I think it is unlikely that watching more sex on tv could lead to this.

I do agree that parents could play an important role in stopping teen pregnancy. They should preach to their children the dangers and risk involved. I can see were television could be blamed for the rise, but I still think it goes back to more lenient parents. I do think children should be educated about the differences in television and real life. Classrooms may be the best way to educate children if parents are not going to.

Marc Hearst

Anonymous said...

I think that watching too much of anything can influence a person's life whether they realize it or not. For teens, if it looks good and there don't seem to be a lot of (or at least major) circumstances(like is shown on a lot of those programs), then why not do it? Teens are up for trying anything.

I believe tv should be monitored in the home. If parents would spend more time with their children and get involved in their lives (especially teaching them good morals and values), then maybe teen pregnancy would go down. However, with that said, I also believe there are teens out there that no matter what their parents teach them, they are going to fall into teen sex no matter what.

It seems that children are learning about sex earlier and earlier so there should be some sort of media literacy taught in the school system starting probably as early as 5th grade. A lot of times children that get involved in sex that early or shortly thereafter just haven't heard enough against it. Some parents think their child is too young to possibly know about sex. Other parents just want to ignore it, hoping it will never happen to them.

As a parent, I plan to have "the talk" with my children at a fairly early age so they're educated on the lies that are being told. I don't want them to fall into the trap of the glorious teen sex life.

Matt Middleton said...

After reading the piece, I do believe the results pertaining to watching sexual content on television and teen pregnancy are accurate. With that said, I believe there is a larger, underlying issue that the article makes reference to but does not offer any details. The second question addresses this factor. I completely agree with this person that notes parenting is the critical issue. A stat is noted in the piece that adolescents living in a 2-parent household had a lower probability of pregnancy. How much lower? My guess would be significantly. The other question that should have been asked to these teens was did they believe their parents spent enough time in explaining the hardships faced by early pregnancy. My guess again would be that many of these teens had not been exposed to these conversations.

Situations depicted on television do have a way of shaping our culture as to what is acceptable. I can see teens viewing sexual content portrayed on television as a "hip" thing. Many people are easily influenced. Perhaps there is a place for media literacy in the classroom. It definitely needs to be installed in teens in some form. I would hope that all parents would spend some time in explaining these issues to their children, but I know that is only wishful thinking.

Lynsee said...

I partially agree and disagree with this study. I feel that television does not accurately portray the consequences of sexual activity. Also, it does not show any use of contraception. I think that is where the parents have to step in and educate their kids. My parents never talked to me about sex, I learned everything from my friends. I hope our society can change this stigma of parents not parenting and expecting schools to completely educate children. If parents could just talk to their children maybe we would see a decline in the rate of teen pregnancy.

Paula said...

The results of the survey within the confines of the study itself could probably show that high levels of sexual content on television could increase teen pregnancy. As the survey included 12 to 17 years olds studied for three years, until they were 17 to 20 years, that increase could simply go along with the age increase.

I believe there are other factors involved such as peer pressure, lack of parent-child interaction, classroom education (or lack thereof), and the constant blasting of sexual images, whether on television or walking down the street.

Actually, I found an article by Rob Stein, Washington Post staff writer, that says that after a 14 year decline, there has been a 3 percent increase in teen pregnancy among certain age groups. It is interesting to note that the article talks not about television but on education programs and other factors, and congressional funding, with additional funds about to be requested....here is the link.......http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/05/AR2007120501208.html

I do think there is a place for media literacy in the classroom, beginning with grades 7, or when children are reaching teen (and older) status and can comprehend and appreciate what is being taught. I do understand that it is very tough to be a teacher in this world where the main element of being able to teach is buried under mounds of paperwork that stress procedure instead of learning, for the money. I like to see instructor accountability, and parental accountability, though I also like to know that our teachers can teach, and parents will take care of issues at home.

heather b said...

I disagree with what I read I dont think that just watching sex on tv will make someone pregnant. People have their own minds and can make their own decisions. I think a main factor that leads to teen pregnancy is how people were raised,if they have no conscious and no morals then they will do what they want.
I think sex education is important but I really think it is common sense when it comes to getting pregnant and it is your job to figure out it on your own if you are not sure the cosequences of having sex so i really think its all relative and you will do what you morals are, if you have been raised right then you will make the right decisions.

Lee said...

I think the answer to this question is definitely yes! Teenagers having sex is because of peer pressure. However, those teens that are provoking the pressure are doing it because of what they've seen on tv and what they think is correct. This leads to teen pregnancy because these shows and episodes show nothing about protection. And there are absolutely now shows for teens to watch that are about using protection, they just promote abstinence. As mentioned before peer pressure is definitely the biggest reason for teens having sex. I really don't think good parenting or bad parenting affects this situation. Ultimately teens are going to have sex wether they want to or not.

There could be a third variable on the rise. However, I think there is just so much sex on television because it is what sells. All the popular shows contain sex. It would be great if there was a mature and fun show for teens that focused around using protection. I don't think it is the having sex that affects teen pregnancy; it is the no-talk of protection. Finally, I think media literacy is something that should be taught by parents. Parents are those people that you feel the most comfortable around, or you should. I would much rather have my mom or dad telling my about the dangers and manipulations than some random teacher at school.

William said...

The question, “Does watching more sex on T.V. lead to teen pregnancy?” is a little vague. Does it lead teens to want to become pregnant? Perhaps it does. Who wouldn’t want to live the idealized livelihoods’ portrayed by actresses and actors? In a society where both parents work and family members rarely see one another we crave emotional attention. A significant other and/or baby are a means of attaining immediate emotional gratification. For some the bond between a parent and child is a way of filling this void. Wasn’t this the reason the Massachusetts teens made a pact to get pregnant.

There are other factors leading to teen pregnancy that can be attributed to television. For one thing, both television programming and the commercials that support it are sexually pervasive. While watching television you cannot escape sexually explicit material. The CNN article mentioned sexually explicit content every ten minutes. If you added sensuality and scantily dressed actors and actresses it’s actually more like every ten seconds. This makes sex seem acceptable in our culture, while discussing sexuality and the consequences of sexual behavior is not. Combine the two and you have the willingness and desire to have sex coupled with the arrogance and ignorance of sexual consequences. This is bound to lead to a small percentage of accidental pregnancies.

A third variable could be that young women may simply not care about the consequences of getting pregnant. Perhaps they view this as a rite of passage into adulthood. Having a child and taking on this “adult” duty means that society has to view them as adults. Prior to pregnancy they may simply not care about the consequences it has on their future child. Also, the opportunity to abort fetuses is an easy out for many. Even if you are aware of the consequences you may take a chance knowing that an opportunity for abortion makes pregnancy and childbirth less final and finite.

Parents must take an active role in teaching children media literacy. It is up to parents to teach the difference between the television and actual reality. It is also up to the parents to instill moral values and teach the consequences of teen pregnancy as well as the virtues of family and its role in child rearing. In our digital age family is more important than ever. If you don’t teach your child someone else will.

Unknown said...

I don’t think that anyone can blame one certain thing for the teen pregnancy rates. The factors of teen pregnancy differ because of many things and most of which are directed towards the parents. I think that many things are blamed because of teen pregnancy and its easier to blame outside sources that look to the root of the problem which normally are the parental figures in a teen’s life. Good parenting, I think, can solve mostly anything including if someone watches sexual encounters on television. I do believe that sex on television can effect one’s choices to have sex at an early age but if a parent tells their child over and over how wrong it is to have sex and explain the consequences then teen pregnancy shouldn’t be blamed on television. Television affects many things that occur in the world today, not just teen pregnancy.
Children should be told at an early age that not everything on the television is true. There are right and wrong things that are advertised and shown on TV everyday if a child believes everything they hear on the TV then the world would be a different place. I believe it’s a parent’s job to explain to their children about the world of the media. It does not affect a school because if television is watched in school it is very monitored.