It is not surprising to hear that college students experiment with sex, drugs and alcohol. But what if you heard that your 15-year-old sibling was doing the exact same thing?
Nearly one-fourth of sexually active teens and young adults ages 15 to 24 report having unprotected sex (not using a condom) because of alcohol or drug use, and 43 percent of teens and young adults – almost half – say they are concerned that they might do more sexually than they had planned because they are drinking or using drugs, according to Youth Knowledge and Attitudes on Sexual Health: A National Survey of Adolescents and Young Adults (2002).
Promiscuity is all over the television. Shows like “Sex in the City” and “The OC” are appropriate for college-age students. However, it is not just new adults who are being exposed to these sexual images.
Sure, teens are not watching “Sex in the City,” but they are watching shows such as Fox’s “Teen Choice Awards.” This is a show designed for teens to have a say in who they feel is cool, hot and worthy of their worship.
Dane Cook and Jessica Simpson hosted the most recent “Teen Choice Awards.” The stage was equipped with spas fully stocked with girls in bikinis, once again enforcing the stereotype that women are sexual objects. The show opened with a small skit from Simpson and Cook, in which Simpson had to tell Cook to keep “it” clean.
Now, I don’t know about you, but I happen to love Cook. I also would not let my 13-year-old cousin hear about Cook’s comments on the vegetable-likeness of his genitalia. It is then no surprise that Simpson had to give him a slap on the wrist for his inappropriate behavior.
What worries me is that she was the one to do it. If the blonde bubblehead is the only one who realizes that certain subjects are unsuitable for a young audience, then we have a serious issue. This awkward introduction to the show was followed by a performance of Nelly Furtado’s song “Promiscuous.” I found it disturbing to hear the same song I hear in the clubs on a teen show.
Pubescent teens are in the midst of an awkward stage where they desperately feel the need to fit in. Peer pressure is constantly pushing them to try new things. They are watching TV and reading magazines to keep up with what is “hot” or “cool.” Those of us who have siblings know that they are more than willing to follow us around like little puppies, imitating our every move. This is how teens view stars.
Teens see these famous musicians, actors and actresses as even more than older siblings. To them, they are gods.
Teens don’t know what to do, how to act or what to wear, and we spoon-feed them age-inappropriate standards. Our society’s expectations are not those that should be applied to 12 through 17-year-olds. The line between teens and college students is being blurred.
For the sake of our younger generation I hope the media that appeals to teens cleans up its act and finds the decency to show teens how to have some dignity and behave properly.
Jenna McDaniel is a junior art education major.