I’ve seen many things in the hallways of my high school. I’ve heard things I could have done without. Nothing beats a scene I was fortunate enough to witness last week in the school library.
I have an Independent Project second hour, so I spend a lot of time rifling through books, encyclopedias, and magazines. Unfortunately, the media is also open to less motivated students who slip in because a sub was willing to sign a pass.
This day I heard three underclassmen talking so loudly it was like they wanted to broadcast their business to anyone and everyone. The subject matter wasn’t exactly helpful while I was trying to concentrate, so I did end up collecting much of the conversation.
The two boys and one girl were deeply immersed in a discussion about porn and masturbation. They spewed words and phrases like old pros and I had to remind myself that they couldn’t be much older than 15.
I learned one thing that day: my fellow teens are getting dirtier and more scandalous. And they’re doing it younger and younger. I’m not really one to talk; a self-proclaimed anti-religionist obsessed with occultism, LaVey, and rockstar glamour is hardly one to judge rap-listening, hip-hop smashing teens. Still I can’t help but notice how promiscuous we’ve become.
My 11 year old sister is more familiar with sexual innuendos than she is with her times tables. And I’ve heard her sing along to songs packed with overt sexuality. She frequently watches TV shows that feature teens having sex, serial-dating, and using lingo that will, no doubt, be branded into her brain for life.
My mother worries about her. She tries to monitor TV but it’s nearly impossible for her to be there on all fronts. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not blaming the media. I think parents should monitor those things. Still, it’s a constant barrage of images and language that can’t be escaped. And it must prove that this is what we, as young people, want to see (I believe that music, TV, and magazines show things that we are okay with-but that’s another blog all together).
Somewhere along the way, in the past few years, sex has become a part of daily life. I’ve seen parents cringe at the nonchalance with which teens view sex and how we live up to our sex-crazed image. And these are parents that grew up in the free love era of the 60’s and 70’s.
It’s not as if we’re saying we’re being constricted and ruled, told what to do. We flaunt sex around, making statements that might boost us up in someone else’s opinions. I’ve seen this happen between many of my friends. Why does it seem like everything in high school must have some hint of sex behind it?
Youth & Sex
By penandpaintbrush - Posted on March 3rd, 2008
Your anecdotal observations, while disturbing, are not indicative of a larger trend. In fact, recent studies suggest that teens are having less sex, and the ones who are, are more likely to use condoms. So perhaps, even though our TV shows and songs are more explicit, it's not having the affect of increasing promiscuity among teens.
So that has be encouraging.
While that is encouraging to know that (and I do know that many of my friends who claim to be in the know about sex have never actually had sex), I feel like there is still something wrong with the way teens try and use sex as a way to boost their image. Even if they've never had sex, they still act like they have. That's one of the things I meant to mention but must have left out.
Aaaand I know how you feel.
In my old middle school, the year where I became a freshmen, two 7th graders were caught having oral sex in the back of a stairwell. After viewing through several tapes (because there were video cameras there) the two pre-teens had met at the spot several times previous for oral-sex and full blown sex.
These kids weren't even thirteen yet.
The idea of teens having sex has and will always be a problem. Many teens and adults are not mature enough to handel the responsibilities that go along with sex. For one there are the emotions that both face, not to mention pregnacy, and the all time STD. Teen pregnancy is one than that should not be acceptable because by making it acceptable teens really do not fear pregnancy the way they should. I'm not saying that teens who do make a mistake and get pregnant should be thought any less of. The media has a major influence on teens to engage in sex then you have to consider teens parents. Many teens engage in sex because their parent is not paying them any attention or their parent is promiscuous mainly his or her mother. Parents do not realize the real influence they have on their children's lives. The media shows sex as an fun experience that can be experienced with anyone and it rarely express that you should be in love with the person before you have sex with them; also the media does not show that you should be mentally prepared for the act.