Sex in the Media Study #1

Brittany Garcia HSCI 310

Title: S"urce:

WELL; The Kids re !"re Than ll #i$ht The %e& '"r( Ti)es* uth"r: Tara +ar(er,+"-e; . /e0ruary* 1011

Su))ary "2 Se3uality,related C"ntent: 4escri-ti"n* i5e5* &hat is it6 This article states that &ith the current $enerati"n "2 teena$ers* &e ha7e seen a decline in the use "2 dru$s* alc"h"l* and se35 It states that th"u$h there has 0een a rise in the use "2 )ari8uana* teena$ers t"day are s)"(in$ less than their -arents did at the sa)e a$e5 lc"h"l usa$e has als" 0een re-"rted as a hist"ric l"&5 The rate 2"r teena$e $irls ha7in$ se3 has dr"--ed 0y 8ust "7er 109 0elie7ed t" 0e due t" the 2ear "2 c"ntractin$ HI:5 This ne& $enerati"n has als" seen the e)er$ence "2 ne& techn"l"$ical &ays that can lead t" ne$ati7e;re0elli"us 0eha7i"rs in teena$ers includin$ se3tin$ and /ace0""(5 H"& accurate is it6 C")-are &ith class in2" "r "ther relia0le s"urces5 In "ther classes I ha7e heard "--"site results than &hat this study is re-"rtin$5 I ha7e heard that all "2 these rates are e3tre)ely hi$h in this $enerati"n and that e7ery year* (ids 0e$in t" en$a$e in these ris(y 0eha7i"rs at an earlier a$e5 I thin( that this in2"r)ati"n is -retty li(ely since there are a l"t "2 -ercenta$es and c")-aris"ns "2 statistics 2r") "ther decades5 H"&e7er* it d"es n"t say &here these statistics ca)e 2r") "r h"& the sur7eys &ere c"nducted <&hat and h"& the =uesti"ns &ere as(ed> and it d"es n"t say i2 the instituti"n that t""( d"&n these nu)0ers is a relia0le s"urce5 What e22ect )i$ht this ite) ha7e "n the $eneral -u0lic* a -ers"n &ith li)ited ca-acity* "r s")e"ne &h" )i$ht 0e -articularly 7ulnera0le6 I thin( that this article )ay lea7e )any -e"-le t" 2eel s(e-tical "2 these 2indin$s?es-ecially -arents5 %" )atter h"& l"& the rates "2 alc"h"l c"nsu)-ti"n* dru$ use* and se3 ha7e dr"--ed* I thin( that -arents &ill al&ays 7ie& it as 0ein$ the "--"site5 It is a natural -arental instinct and I d"n@t 0elie7e that s")ethin$ as si)-le and )iniscule as a sur7ey &ill chan$e th"se c"ncrete 7ie&s5 What is y"ur "7erall reacti"n t" the ite)6 I a) "ne "2 th"se -e"-le &h" &"uld 7ie& these results as 0ein$ inaccurate5 I thin( that it is 8ust 2r") -ers"nal e3-erience 0y ha7in$ l"ts "2 2riends &h" en$a$e in all "2 these acti7ities5 T" )e* it see)s as th"u$h these 0eha7i"rs are startin$ at an earlier a$e each year and s" that &"uld )ean the rates &"uld increase as &ell5 But )ay0e that 2act"r is )"re d")inant &hen y"u l""( at s-eci2ic re$i"ns "2 the A5S5 as "--"sed t" $atherin$ u- results 2r") the entire c"untry5 I als" 2ind it hard t" readily 0elie7e &hen statistics are re-"rted 0ecause as the reader y"u d"n@t (n"& h"& the results &ere $athered* &hether the &"rdin$ "2 =uesti"ns &as 0iased* h"& )any -e"-le res-"nded t" the sur7ey* etc5 Since the article d"es n"t say h"& any "2 this &as d"ne* it is 7ery -"ssi0le that these results c"uld ha7e 0een e3a$$erated t" cal) -e"-le d"&n5