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The New Teens: Sexually Informed and Responsible
By Virginia Gilbert
With titillating messages like these, it's no wonder parents worry about the media's ability to influence teenagers' sexual behavior. However, the experiences and observations of the teenagers interviewed for this article suggest that there's a gap between real kids and their provocative Hollywood counterparts. Far from being na and impressionable, these flesh-and-blood teenagers possess the wisdom to choose what's right for them. None of these interview subjects said they felt pressured by the media to be sexually active.
Matt admits that he used to be influenced by racy TV and film fare in his early teens, but has since grown more secure with himself and no longer listens to Hollywood.
This same self-assurance also helps Matt resist peer pressure. Matt says he's witnessed some of his male friends egg on others to go "all the way," but thinks they leave him alone because he's recognized as someone who won't do something he doesn't believe in.
"My parents were always open about sex," Maggie says. "I never felt pressured one way or another."
Maggie believes that parents ultimately don't have much impact on their kids' decisions to postpone or to have sex. However, there seems to be a connection between parents who are accessible and non-judgmental and kids who approach intimacy in a mature, realistic fashion.
