ABC Family Good Role Models?

I read a study on Television Use, Sexual Behavior, and Relationship Status at Last Oral Sex and Vaginal Intercourse. This study looked at youth ages 14-18 and how television affected them. Results indicate that sexually inexperienced youth watched more television overall than sexually experienced youth, but less adult, premium and music television on cable networks. Premium cable exposure predicted group membership among sexually active youth. Youth who watched more premium cable were more likely to be in casual relationship having intercourse than a committed one. A more complete understanding of media effects on adolescent sexual relationships can help guide policy development, media education/literacy efforts, and contribute to the design of interventions to reduce the negative consequences associated with adolescent sexual behavior.

If shows are talking about sex and showing sex in inappropriate ways then how can we expect teenagers not to be curious. Family channels are not in the position to be informing teenagers on sex and showing it on their shows sparks curiosity. Therefore, teenagers are more likely to try sex after watching it on television. Sure ABC Family is okay with showing teenagers having sex but they don’t talk about protection. They mention in a bit in the Secret Life of an American Teenager but not till after she is already pregnant. People need to see that this is not becoming a problem, it already is a problem and we need to take action now. Leave the adult content to adult channels and allow ABC Family to stay a family channel. Do you hear me Ann Sweeney?

Life doesn’t imitate art, it imitates bad television.
Woody Allen

For more information on the study:

http://springerlink.metapress.com.libproxy.chapman.edu/content/w518r24tvpr63841/fulltext.html

Interview With Brittany Corbin

I decided to interview my sister and ask her a couple of questions about what she watches and tried to see how it effects her.

1. Christina: What shows do you watch?

Brittany: Jersey Show, Pretty Little Liars, Secret Life of An American Teenager, The Real World, Dancing With the Stars and Teen Mom

2. Christina: Why do you like these shows?

Brittany: They are entertaining, there is drama and real life stuff.

3. Christina: Can you relate to these shows?

Brittany: Ya, they talk about boys and sex and stuff. Oh, and I like their clothes.

4. Christina: Where did you learn about sex? Mom?

Brittany: I don’t know, I think tv.

5. Christina: Do you know anyone who acts like the girls on the shows?

Brittany: Yeah, girls at school. Sometimes they copy their outfits and stuff.

6. Christina: Whats your favorite show?

Brittany: Pretty Little Liars

7. Christina: Do you know that this show is fake for the most part?

Brittany: Ya, but the girls on the show get to do a lot and their parents don’t care.

8. Christina: Do you think hooking up with multiple guys is okay?

Brittany: Ya, if you don’t have a boyfriend.

Another clip from ABC Families, Pretty Little Liars, dealing with hooking up with boys.

Effects of TV on The Brain

Everything in moderation is okay but what if you consume your life with television shows, especially ones that are not sending a good message. Two large issues with television and the mind are…..

1) Your subconcious thinks that TV is real.

2) Teenagers watch Tv 4-6 hours a day.

So what teens watch should be more insightful and sending out a better message to what life should be as a teenager. These are some of the hardest years of your life trying to fit in a be “cool” and you should not  be learning how to be those things from a television show. ABC Family needs to hear this message loud and clear and hopefully make a change in the content of their programing and have a Code of Conduct for what should not be allowed to appear on a family channel. There needs to be a channel that teenagers can enjoy without feeling like that need to be sexy, drink, be in a relationship, etc, to have a good time and fit in.

Quotes From Pretty Little Liars

These are some quotes from Pretty Little Liars that I find to be problem. These are the shows that our youth is watching and the content they are hearing.

1) Mona: This sounds totally gay, but if I saw you struttin’ it in that dress and kickin’ up those heels, I would think about doing you.

*See Sarah’s blog on the wrong use of the word “gay”. www.thatssoogay.wordpress.com

2) People just love hearing about how hot their moms are

Officer Darren (on his suspicions involving the Ali case): Your mom may be hot, Hanna, but she’s not hot enough to make that go away.

3) Now, that’s a prescription we can endorse!

Hanna (to an onlooker): [Pours liquor into her drink] It’s medicinal. Cramps.

4) Mona doesn’t exactly strike us as a member of the 4-H club

Mona: [Laughs] Okay, I am all for boob jobs, but when I see those, I want to “moo.”

5) Lesbian potheads love double entendres

Maya (about weed): First time?

Emily: No.
Maya gives her a look.

Emily: … Yes.

Maya: So I’m corrupting you. You okay with that?

Emily: Yeah. I think I am.

These are just some examples of inappropriate comments that are on a family show that targets a younger audience. What kind of messages are they trying to send with theses comments?

Where Do We Draw the Line?

I worry about my sister and the fact that shows are influencing how she thinks but I also worry what will happen if shows on family channels get away with this. What happens if we don’t speak up and say this is inappropriate? What kind of shows will our children be watching? Maybe soft core porn? Who knows. Sure, you can monitor what you kids watch but to what extend? Would you as a parent think that you would need to monitor ABC Family, which is owned by Disney? Micky Mouse doesn’t seem that bad. Within the last year my sister behavior has gotten more inappropriate and I know it’s from the examples she sees on these shows. My sister chats online with boys and shows off her boobs and her attitude has also changed in the sense that she had disregard for authority. I originally put up pictures of my sister but decided not to expose her in that way. Instead I have pictures that are similar to pictures my sister has posted.

This is a picture of teenage girls in their bras and underwear, where did they get this idea?

Sums It all Up!

All television is educational television. The question is: what is it teaching? ~Nicholas Johnson

This is a question we need to ask ourselves when we decide what TV shows are acceptable for our youth.We need to ask ourselves where do teenagers get ideas about what activities they should engage in.

Current Popular Shows on ABC Family:

Pretty Little Liars: This show follows four girls trying to find their friends killer. In this process that have many scandals relationships, lie to their parents, and get themselves into bad situations with alcohol, drugs, and boys.

Secret Life of the American Teenager: This follows the love lives of teenagers who have become pregnant in high school and are trying to overcome the odds. They deal with sex, cheating, and young marriage.

Greek: This show depicts the collage life of students in Greek life. Drinking, sex, and roller coster relationships.

Inappropriate?

I read a study that I found very interesting about this topic. The more that things like sex, drugs, and alcohol are shown on television shows the more familiar and “acceptable” they become in a teenagers eyes. Therefore, when they go to a party and someone offers them a drink they are more likely to take it because its a familiar and “acceptable” situation in their eyes. They might not remember where they saw this act done before but they know that it was acceptable. These types of situations can become very dangerous and have serious consequences that the shows sometimes leave out.

In this clip Hanna is letting a guy stay in her house and hiding it from her mom. When her mom comes home unexpectedly she has to jump in the shower with the guy so that her mom doesn’t find out. Is this a realistic situation for a teenage girl to find herself in? Most likely not, but teenage girls viewing this might think it is and then might repeat it. Therefore, is it a good idea to have shows like this on a family channel?

A Whole New World

The main reason this became my topic in the first place was because of my sister Brittany. While I was home visiting we would watch television together and I would listen to her comments. I instantly realized that she was having a hard time distinguishing shows from reality. I watched Pretty Little Liars with her and she would make comments like how come their parents let them do that or how come they look like that. I witnessed first hand how much these shows were actually affecting my sister. It was becoming a blur on what was real and what was fake. I didn’t know exactly how it happened but it did. ABC Family is suppose to bring families together and provide wholesome shows, I mean they are owned by Disney, but they don’t. My proposal is that ABC Family set guidelines and created a list of what content should not be shown on a family channel.

Content for ABC Family:

1. There should be no relationship between an adult and a minor.

2. Teenagers should not be shown drinking without consequences.

3. Teenagers should not be shown taking drugs without consequences.

4. They should not show causal sex.

5. There should be not children lying to parents, without consequences.

6. Violence should be limited.

These are just some things that a “family” channel should consider as guidelines since they are targeting such a young, easily influenced group of teenagers.

Television, friend or foe?

Most families have a least one television in their house. It seems like a harmless household staple that is there for enjoyment but can sometime turn into a monster that sucks you in to believing everything you see is real. Teenagers are among that largest group that spends a good portion of their lives in front of the television, roughly four hours a day, and are among the most easily influenced group as well. Also, a good number of these teenagers even have a personal television in their room. That may solve the common family conflict on who gets to pick what everyone watches but it is leading to an even bigger problem.

ABC Family airs shows such as Pretty Little Liars, Greek, The Secret Life of an American Teenager and more that depict more adult teenage lifestyles that are very uncommon to find in a typical teenage life. Unfortunately, many teenagers are watching these show that depict “teenagers”, their peers, engaging in behavior that is not typical of teenagers at all but makes them think that it is because the teenagers on the shows are in their age group. Parents don’t think they have to monitor channels like ABC Family but they do. Every week these shows have teenagers in adult situations and the more and more these situations are repeated the more the viewers believe it to be reality and then when these situations come up in real life they aren’t shocking, they don’t seem wrong and they are more likely to go a long with it.

For example, this week on the show Pretty Little Liars we catch up on one of the girl’s relationship with her teacher. These are supposed to be teenagers in high school? What are these shows teaching teenagers? They glamorize activities that teenagers shouldn’t be engaging in. The girl’s relationship with the teacher has been hard to keep a secret but they have not dealt with any real struggle, such as the school finding out or legal ramifications. They also make the relationship seem so great and that the teacher and his student are so in love. In real life a relationship like this would not be glamorous and would have serious consequences. On the other hand, because there are no consequences on the show and they make it seem so great does that mean more girls will be more likely to engage in inappropriate acts with their teachers and think it is okay? I think it is a real possibility.

It is time to start worrying what types of shows are being put on family channels that target younger audiences. Teenagers who see glamorize sexual relationships are more likely to engage in sex themselves and there are consequences. In 2009, 46% of high school students had sexual intercourse and 13.8% had four or more sex partners during their life.  Prior to the sexual activity, 21.6% drank alcohol or used drugs. Only 38.9% used a condom. Where are they getting the idea that is this okay? Is it from what they see on television?