3. Factually describe the issue:.
A. What is the extent of the issue?.
Television has become a leading sex educator today. Television exposes children to adult sexual behaviors in ways that portray these actions as normal and risk-free, sending the message that because these behaviors are frequent, everybody does it'. Sex between unmarried partners is shown 24 times more often than sex between spouses, while sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancy are rarely mentioned.
B. Who is directly affected by this issue today?.
The media affects many children right now as we speak. According to parents, children ages (2-17) spend almost 6.5 hours a day in front of electronic screens (TV, video games, and computer). Ninety-two percent of children (ages 2-17) surveyed play video and computer games, 98.2% of homes with children have a TV, and 96% of teens listen to the radio each week. That means that for the 6.5 hours a day they are taking in the information and knowledge that they see, whether it be useful or junk. By the time adolescents graduate from high school, they will have spent 15,000 hours watching television, compared with 12,000 hours spent in the classroom. Out of the 15,000 hours that the teenagers has spent watching television they view more than 14,000 sexual references annually. Out of the 71.6% of households with children in the United States that have computers with Internet access 31% of the children (ages 10-17) have seen a pornographic site on the Internet.
C. What are the effects upon the groups in the previous question?.
One study shows that 13 to 15 year olds rate TV and movies as on of their top sources for information about sex. While 84% of sitcoms now contain sexual content, less than 10 % of these shows talk about the consequences and the risks of having sex. .
4. Case Study:.
A. Describe an actual story or event that exemplifies the issue.
I found stories of how the media is affecting children.