Discuss the Status of Foreign Claims Essay

1. Talk about the status of outside cases and assets in the trans-Mississippi West from 1811 to 1840. Follow the improvement of American interests in the locale during this time. Between the years 1811 to 1840, Americans had moved into the trans-Mississippi West so as to get characterized limits with Canada and Mexico; in addition, they went westbound to get the western edge of the mainland. Business objectives energized early enthusiasm as merchants firs looked for beaver skins in Oregon region as ahead of schedule as 1811 and afterward buffalo robes arranged by the Plains clans in the region around the upper Missouri River and its tributaries. A large number of the men in the hide business wedded Indian ladies, in this manner making important associations with Indian clans engaged with catching. In the Southwest, the breakdown of the Spanish Empire gave American merchants an open door they had since a long time ago looked for. Their financial movement arranged the path for military triumph. Toward the south, land for cotton instead of exchange or minister enthusiasm pulled in pioneers and vagrants during the 1820s at the very time that the Tejano populace of 2,000 was changing in accordance with Mexican autonomy. On the Pacific, a couple of New England brokers conveying ocean otter skins to China moored in the harbors of Spanish California in the mid nineteenth century. By the 1830s, as the close to eradication of the creatures demolished this exchange, a trade dependent on California cowhides and fat created. New England ships brought garments, boots, equipment, and furniture fabricated in the East to trade for conceals gathered from nearby farmers. Among the soonest easterners to settle in the trans-Mississippi West were clans from the South and the Old Northwest whom the American government coercively migrated in the present-day Oklahoma and Kansas. 2. Legitimize American westbound development during the 1840s. American development was because of the fast populace development, progresses in transportation, correspondence, and the reinforcing thought of national predominance, known as Manifest Destiny. This feeling of uniqueness and strategic a heritage of early Puritan utopianism and Revolutionary republicanism. By the 1840s, the fruitful assimilation of the Louisiana Territory likewise added to the American extension towards the best. Marketing experts of Manifest Destiny declared that the country not exclusively could yet should retain new domains. This Manifest Destiny, the trademark where they used to legitimize this development, was started by John L. O’Sullivan. He communicated the conviction that the country’s predominant foundations and culture gave Americans an undeniable right, even a commitment, to spread their human progress over the whole landmass. 3. From 1823 to 1845, Texas developed from a meagerly settled locale of northern Mexico to an autonomous republic to a state in the American Union. Talk about the purposes behind and the significant occasions of this change. Texas had the option to isolate from Mexico into the American Union by longing for their own autonomy, winning the fight at San Jacinto, and their new republic they had the option to make. It started in 1823, when the Mexican government made plans to fortify fringe zones by expanding populace. To pull in pilgrims, it offered land as an end-result of token installments and vows to become Roman Catholics and Mexican residents. In 1829, the Mexican government changed its Texas arrangement. Resolved to control American impact, the administration canceled subjection in Texas in 1830 and precluded further resettlement from the United States. Authorities started to gather customs obligations on merchandise crossing the Louisiana fringe; hoowever, minimal changed in Texas. American slave proprietors liberated their slaves and afterward constrained them to sign life agreement contracts. Travelers despite everything crossed the fringe and dwarfed Mexicans. With the triumph at San Jacinto, Texas picked up its autonomy. The new republic began shakily, monetarily temperamental, and unrecognized by its foes. For the following not many years, the Lone Star Republic drove an unsafe presence. 4. Break down President Polk’s activities in taking care of the Oregon question. Was Polk karma or savvy in accomplishing a serene trade off with Britain? Polk was not ready to do battle with Great Britain for Oregon, so he withdrawed his recommendation, while he made more challenges and confounded the goals, and accomplished a quiet trade off by sheer karma. Polk started by setting out the American position that settlement conveyed the assumption of ownership. Polk perceived the truth that Americans has not delayed to settle the contested domains. His ostentatious stance and far reaching American cases confounded the conflict’s goals. He offered a trade off to Great Britain, however in a tone that estranged the British. Conversations about Oregon involved Congress for month. Discussion bit by bit uncovered profound divisions about Oregon and the chance of war with Great Britain. Polk made the strange stride of sending this proposition to the Senate for a primer reaction. Getting away from a portion of the duty regarding withdrawing from mottos by offering it to the Senate, Polk finished the emergency only half a month prior to the revelation of war with Mexico. 5. What drove such a significant number of Americans to sell the greater part of their ownership and leave on an obscure future a large number of miles away in Oregon or California during the 1840s? The terrains east of the Mississippi started to top off, and American naturally approached recognizable plans to legitimize development; they moved west for additional grounds to settle and greater chance. Americans lost brief period in moving into the new regions. During the 1840s, 1850s, and 1860s, a huge number of Americans left their homes for the West. By 1860, California alone had 3800,000 pioneers. Simultaneously, a large number of Chinese traveled south and east to goals like North and South America to get away from the opium wars during the 1840s with Great Britain, inward distress, and poor financial conditions. Most who came to California considered it the â€Å"Gold Mountain. † Most of the exiled people who set out toward the Far West, where servitude was denied, were white and American-conceived. They originated from the Midwest and Upper South. They had totally different courses to showing up West, yet they all had a similar expectation, to arrive at the wealth and the better chances to live. 6. Complexity the various lives and errands face by pioneers on the rural, mining, and urban boondocks in the West of the 1840s and 1850s. Rather than the rural settlements, where early occupants were confined and the network extended slowly, the revelation of gold or silver prodded fast, if generally fleeting, development. Mining camps, feeble and frequently quickly developed, before long housed hundreds or even a huge number of excavators and individuals serving them. Vendors, cantina guardians, cooks, pharmacists, players, and whores rushed into blast territories as quick as miners. As a rule, about a large portion of the occupants of any mining camp were there to prospect the excavators as opposed to the mines. Given the inspiration, character, and ethnic assorted variety of those running to blast towns and the weak endeavors to set up nearby government in what were seen as brief networks, it was not really astonishing that mining life was frequently untidy. On the off chance that mining life was typically not this rough, it endured conduct unsuitable farther east. Excavators were doing whatever it takes not to re-make eastern networks yet to get rich. 7. Exiled people going through Utah experienced a Mormon society that appeared â€Å"familiar and systematic, yet outside and stunning. † Explain The guests had the option to relate and respect the alluringly laid of town with water system and clean houses, however as they noticed the proper idea of regular day to day existence, they slandered about polygamy and scanned for indications of resistance in the essences of Mormon ladies. Exiled people who restricted subjection were partial to contrasting the Mormon spouse with the dark slave. They were flabbergasted that not many Mormon ladies appeared to be keen on getting away from the obligations of plural marriage. Non-Mormon exiled people going through Utah discovered a lot of that was conspicuous. The legislature had natural attributes. Most Mormons were ranchers; a large number of them came initially from New England and the Midwest and shared standard traditions and perspectives. In any case, pariahs likewise saw significant contrasts, for the core of Mormon society was not the individual rancher on his own residence but rather the agreeable town. 8. Depict the way of life and political association of the Plains Indians. Talk about how and why their relationship with white Americans transformed from the 1840s to 1851. White American initially interacted with this Plains clans, and saw that their way of life varied from that of the various Indian clans. This normal experience on the overland path focuses to the social and social contrasts isolating white Americans moving west and the local people groups with whom they came in contact. Sure of their qualities and rights, migrants had little respect for the individuals who had lived in the West for quite a long time and no shame in holding onto their territories. The Plains clans were comparable in different clans on the grounds that the had received a traveling lifestyle after the presentation of Spanish ponies in the sixteenth century. Versatility additionally expanded ancestral contact and strife. Furthermore, war had a focal influence in the lives of the Plains clans. This example of contention on the Plains debilitated political solidarity. Be that as it may, they had marked no bargains with the United States and had barely any benevolent emotions toward whites. Their contact with white society had gotten increases through exchange skins, yet the exchange had additionally presented liquor and damaging pestilences of smallpox and red fever. 9. Compose a short outline of American westbound extension from 1820 to 1860 from the Mexican perspective. For common laborers Hispanic Americans, who became workers for Anglo ranchers or mining or railroad organizations, we earned

History113 - Research essay on the Great war Researching and Arguing Term Paper

History113 - Research exposition on the Great war Researching and Arguing From an Idea - Term Paper Example Those individuals who win from any war are given more consideration than even the individuals who make due to give the records of what occurred. This thought issues to others since they need to comprehend that war is certifiably not a round of washouts or victors, however the individuals who endure are the most significant since they will live to give the declaration of what occurred. This issue likewise matters to others since they need to alter their perspective on the origination they have about history and war, giving case of the Great War. The philosophy that I will use in this paper is progression and change. The Great War is additionally alluded as the First World War. The war began in 1914 to 1918, and it was activated by some voracity for power by some European nations (Kenneth 2005). The countries which were associated with the war all had some enthusiasm since some were on the side of their companion countries while others needed domain, incredible realm and riches. During the war there was marking of certain settlements between certain nations where they needed to help each other even in the midst of war. In this war, Russia, Britain and France were one side importance they were partners and on the opposite side was Turkey, Australia and Germany. After some time, the war was wild and it spread out of Europe where the United States in 1917, needed to intercede (Keynes 1973). The war started on the 28th of July 1914 when Australia which is otherwise called Hungary pronounced war on Serbia. Different nations participated in the war since they had marked a few settlements to help each other in the midst of war. The most exceedingly terrible thing of everything is that 6,000,000 individuals both blameless residents and the armed forces lost their lives (Keegan 1980). For one, nobody would need or wish what happened the period somewhere in the range of 1914 and 1918 to be rehashed. This is on the grounds that; there is nobody who appreciates when there is war. When there is war, there is no harmony and a large portion of individuals lose their lives and their properties. The other impact

Tips for Reaching Your Goals When You Have PTSD

Tips for Reaching Your Goals When You Have PTSD PTSD Coping Print Tips for Reaching Your Goals When You Have PTSD Behavioral activation can help you reconnect with joyful experiences By Matthew Tull, PhD twitter Matthew Tull, PhD is a professor of psychology at the University of Toledo, specializing in post-traumatic stress disorder. Learn about our editorial policy Matthew Tull, PhD Updated on June 24, 2019 Yuri Arcurs/Creative RF/Getty Images More in PTSD Coping Causes Symptoms Diagnosis Treatment Related Conditions PTSD and the Military You can learn how to be more active in your life to create experiences that bring you joy - even as youre dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). When people feel depressed or anxious, they may be less likely to do the things they enjoy. Behavioral activation is a way to bring some joy back into your life by being a more active participant. The goal of behavioral activation is simple. It teaches people how to be more active in areas of their life that are pleasurable and enjoyable. Being more connected and involved with these experiences can improve your mood. Behavioral activation is easy. Follow the steps below to identify the goals and activities you want to accomplish so you can get started on your new, more active and positive lifestyle as soon as possible. How to Reach Your Life Goals When Suffering From PTSD Identify your goals. Come up with a list of several short- and long-term goals that you would like to accomplish. These goals can have a definite end-point (for example, getting a new job) or may be ongoing (for example, being a more giving person).Next, identify smaller activities. Focus on things you can complete each week that are going to take you closer to the goals that you identify. For example, if you want to be a more giving person, you might want to choose an activity that involves volunteer work or giving to a charity.Document. On a sheet of paper, write down all the activities you want to complete for a certain week. Also, indicate how many times you want to do the activity and for how long. For example, someone who writes down exercise as an activity may also write down that they want to exercise three times a week for at least half an hour.Track your progress. When you have completed a goal for that week, place a checkmark next to the activity to indicate its completion .Celebrate success. If you complete all your goals for a certain week, reward yourself. Give yourself credit for being more active and getting closer to meeting your life goals.Capitalize on momentum. Each week, build upon the previous week. Carry activities over from week to week. If there are certain activities that you want to make into a habit (for example, weekly exercise), repetition is important.Enjoy. Practice gratitude and be fully present in your new, more active and enjoyable lifestyle. Tips   Go for variety. When coming up with goals and activities, variety is key. Choose goals and activities from a number of different life areas, such as those that involve relationships, education, career, hobbies, spirituality, and health.Focus on fun. The purpose of behavioral activation is to improve your mood, not stress you out even more. Come up with activities that you find enjoyable.Start out slow. In the first couple of weeks, come up with a list of activities that you know you can easily accomplish and then slowly build from there. Coming up with too many activities in the first week can be challenging and stressful, making it less likely that you will meet your goals.Review your progress. If you decide to use a form to keep track of your goals, hold onto forms from weeks past. Each month, review the progress you have made in getting closer to reaching your goals.Commit, but be flexible. Finally, commit to completing the activities you choose from week to week. But remember tha t there are going to be times when other pressing needs take precedence over these activities. If you find that you are unable to complete your goals for a certain week, take a look back at the week and identify any obstacles that prevented you from doing so. Problem-solve how to side-step those obstacles next time they present themselves.

Creating Forms in Microsoft Access 2010

Bipolar Disorder in Song Lyrics Essay - 1024 Words

Songwriters write about their lives since their lyrics are a reflection of their personal experiences. Often, a coping mechanism for dealing with a problem is to bring the issue out in the open. The lead singer and song writer of alternative rock band Blue October, Justin Furstenfeld explains on a suicide prevention video that he has â€Å"battled with bipolar disorder, psychiatric tendencies as well as anxiety issues throughout much of his life and admits he self-harmed during his teenage years and has reoccurring suicidal thoughts† (Freunde fà ¼rs Leben, 2010). Many songs that he wrote are about his mental illness and problems he faced because of it. In the song X Amount of Words, Furstenfeld clearly wrote this song about his mental†¦show more content†¦Oh! (We’re recording you)† (Furstenfeld, 2005). The feeling of being watched by someone is likened to a phobia, an intense fear of someone which would be considered irrational by others. The line â€Å"I never knew you till you left me with the crying disease† suggests a failed relationship led to major depression (Furstenfeld, 2005). It is not made clear whether it was romantic interest or a family member or friend but the wording may be intended to be very general. Further proof of Furstenfeld’s trouble with relationships is stated in the lyrics â€Å"Give me recipes for sorry I’m admitting I’m wrong†, which he blames his disorder on causing rifts in his relationships (Furstenfeld, 2005). Bipolar disorder causes unusual mood changes so it would be fair to say that it is a factor. Biological Factors Furstenfeld explains that bipolar disorder is a malfunction of the brain hence the lyrics â€Å"your brain is faulty wiring† (Furstenfeld, 2005) and recognizes that there is a biological mechanism that causes the disorder. According to Butcher, Hooley, and Mineka, â€Å"cortisol levels are higher in bipolar disorder patients and evidence of mood changes are caused by abnormalities concerning the hypothalamic-pituitary thyroid axis whichShow MoreRelatedKurt Donald Cobain : The Singer Of The Grunge Band Nirvana1635 Words   |  7 PagesHoquiam, Washington, but spent most of his childhood in Aberdeen, Washington (â€Å"Kurt Cobain†, 2015). Cobain was an only child until his sister was born when he was three, dethroning him as the baby of the family. He was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder as a child, and would often hide in his closet (â€Å"Kurt Cobain†, 2015). Cobain’s parents divorced when he was nine years old, after experien cing their fighting throughout his early childhood. When his father remarried, he began pulling away from himRead MoreMusic Is A Huge Part Of Our Everyday Life882 Words   |  4 Pagesexperiences with loved ones, friends, and random acquaintances. 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We the People Free Essays

We, the people, are responsible for this malady. How? you may ask! In the democratic India, we are only left with one right – that is – Voting Right! We do not even know how to exercise our Voting Right! We have premier Management Institutions (IIMs) and B-Schools. Let them use their expertise to train our people as to how to exercise their franchise. We will write a custom essay sample on We the People or any similar topic only for you Order Now We are in total anarchy! We have allowed and turned a handful of otherwise, low caliber people, into giants in the eyes of public. Inequity, Injustice, Corruption in all corners, weakened judiciary, every one wants to wield power and misuse them. In reality, four hundred and odd people rule 115 cr. population at ease! Sardar Patel toiled to unite the Princely States. The Rajas and Maharajas descending from various dynasties had faith in their Prajas and Almighty! Taking their kingdom, making them too small under the garb of democracy, we have created and are creating dynasty of politicians! Who is at fault? The so called four pillars of democracy (Executive, Legislature, Judiciary and the Media) are shaky. We have one Sridharan to mend the pillars, if found cracky, in the Metro Network, however, we have failed to produce as many Sridharans as possible to attend these cracked pillars. Let there be unity and the like-minded people join hands to disseminate and educate the people of this country to bring about a just leadership for building a very Strong Nation, called, India! If we don’t do it, we would be answerable to our next generation! How to cite We the People, Essay examples We The People Free Essays â€Å"We the People†¦ † Marked the opening of the country of America. These three words are the first three words written on the constitution which is known to be the framework of which this country is run. A country that gives all the promises of â€Å"liberty†, â€Å"justice†, â€Å"property†, and â€Å"life† through this document. We will write a custom essay sample on We The People or any similar topic only for you Order Now This Is a document that has said they will give all in a secular manner. All matters that involve religion will not govern the country. If this said to be true, than certain practices such as Insuring Justice, does not come into agreement with their secular statement. This does not account for all forms of Insuring Justice but only for parts. The classification of crime Is divided Into two parts, the misdemeanors and the felony, Misdemeanors are punished with the use of temporary Isolation from society gall), mandatory aiding of the society (community services or reprimanding the Individual from the liberties of life. On the other side of crimes, a felony could also be punished using any of the methods mentioned afore, but In the case where one’s life or liberty has been harmed. The methods are taken to a level of punishment higher than that of a misdemeanors; â€Å"death or imprisonment in excess of one year† (Defenestration. Com). Sentencing a person convicted of a felony to death is legal in some states and illegal in others. The death penalty is decided for those who commit crimes such as â€Å"First-degree murder with special circumstances; sabotage; train wrecking causing death; treason; perjury causing execution of an innocent person; fatal assault by a prisoner serving a life sentence† in some state or in the case of most states as long as en has committed capital murder with a certain number of aggravating circumstances. Some states have abolished the death penalty while others are in pending state where advocates of abolishing this form of punishment state that it is â€Å"too costly and time consuming† (Death Penalty Information center). The removal of the death penalty is not an argument of whether or not it is moral or constitutional, but if is financially efficient. The death penalty is service of Justice in which the problem that has harmed not only those involved directly but the community as a hole is removed. The only goal that has been reached by this conclusion Is that the problem is no longer evident. Has Justice really been served to the one that has been deceased? Using the bases of the Constitution to run this country on the subject of legality, religion is not involved but the factual evidence of science would. Scientifically speaking, after the human passes away, the human body decomposes underground (â€Å"What Happens to Our Body After Death†) and this would leave the true victim and the defendant on the same level. Neither would suffer more than the other since both are no longer living, the only ones that would gain from the situation Is those who are alive. If the law of the land promises all what they were given from birth, this Is a form of justice that will not make the mark. The law should stick to that which it has promised not only benefiting those who are alive but those who left as well. Knowing what the one that has left is impossible but that person should not be made of equal to the one that has caused the misfortune. The correctness is punishment of the written. The Constitution is a secular document free of religious attribution since â€Å"the U. S. Government derives from people, as it clearly states in the preamble: â€Å"We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union†¦. â€Å"† (Walker, â€Å"The Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense founded on the Christian religion†). Works Cited â€Å"Crimes Punishable by the Death Penalty. † Death Penalty Information Center. How to cite We The People, Papers

Media and Adolescent Sexuality Essay Example

Media and Adolescent Sexuality Essay The media has undergone a great transformation over the past 15-20 years and there are numerous sexually charged forms of media that target our younger generation. Part of the adolescent development is the formation of sexual beliefs and patterns of behavior. During this development period the adolescent is very impressionable and the information they receive from various means (parents, family members, friends, teachers, the community and the media, etc. ) is what the adolescent uses to develop their personal sexual beliefs and personal patterns of behavior. With all of the media readily available, adolescents are exposed to sexual content at a much earlier age then previously. The impact of this exposure will be discovered and reported in this research paper. The topic that I have researched is â€Å"Media and Adolescent Sexuality†. For the purpose of this paper â€Å"media† will entail television, music, magazines and the World Wide Web. I have seen a great transformation of media over the years and have noticed the numerous sexually charged forms of media that target our younger generation. Often these forms of media contain homosexual, bisexual and heterosexual references and sexually explicit references. With all of the media readily available, do the media have an impact on adolescent sexuality? Part of the adolescent development is the formation of sexual beliefs and patterns of behavior. During this development period the adolescent is very impressionable and the information received is what is used to develop their personal sexual beliefs and personal patterns of behavior. We will write a custom essay sample on Media and Adolescent Sexuality specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Media and Adolescent Sexuality specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Media and Adolescent Sexuality specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The information they receive may come from their parents, family members, teachers, the community, the media, etc. As a senior high school Sunday school teacher at my church, I often times lead discussions to provoke the youth to think critically about their experiences and the choices that they make. The discussion is always supported biblically, as the bible is the reference used to support why certain choices should be made or not. I find it interesting to hear from the youth during these discussions because they share exactly what they feel and also what they experience. These discussion are very open and leads many of them to ask questions that they may not feel comfortable asking their parents. Many of the discussions involve the various forms of media they watch and listen to and their thoughts of these forms of media based on the bible lessons we review. In taking a close look at the impact of television, the fist form of media to be discussed, I found interesting information documented from surveys which depict the time spent watching television by adolescents. â€Å"In the United States, young people spend 6 to 7 hours each day on average with some form of media. A national survey in 1999 found that one third of young children (2 to 7 years old) and two thirds of older children and adolescents (8 to 18 years old) have a television in their own bedroom. Many of those televisions also are hooked up to cable and a Videocassette Recorder (VCR)† (Roberts, 2000). The time reported, on the survey, that adolescents watch television is high. This amount of time watching television exposes these adolescents to age inappropriate content. Also, with cable television being a constant and always available, this too increases the exposure to age inappropriate content. There are parents who do not monitor what their children watch on television, thus many parents are unaware of the potential harm exposed to their children. Even the channels that are supposed to be age appropriate, such as Nickelodeon and the Disney Channel contain questionable content. Both Nickelodeon and the Disney Channel have programs that contain dating and kissing scenes. Typically young adolescents (8-12) are not interested in the opposite sex but still consider them gross or view them as possessing â€Å"coodees† or germs. The television programs today are not as they were when I was an adolescent. I can remember watching programs like â€Å"Happy Days†, â€Å"Laverne and Shirley† and â€Å"Good Times†. Figure 1 depicts three programs from another television era. Figure 1: Laverne Shirley, Three Company and Good Times â€Å"Happy Days† and â€Å"Good Times† where programs that contained the traditional family unit (Male/Father and Female/Mother). These shows portrayed the everyday lives of the typical family. There were no sexual scenes and if I remember correct, the only type of kiss displayed was between the husband and the wife and was a â€Å"lip touch† kiss not a French kiss. Laverne and Shirley† was a show that portrayed two young women as roommates that hung out with two male friends. These two programs portrayed the everyday lives of the traditional family and young adults. Another program that I remember watching that was the first of its kind; was â€Å"Three’s Company†. This program went against what was considered â€Å"the norm† at that time and for some people was considered â€Å"radical†. The radical tag was due to the storyline. The storyline was a male that was a roommate with three attractive women. The landlord would not allow the group to rent the room together because they were not the same gender so the male in the group, â€Å"Jack Tripper†, pretended to be gay. This was the first portrayal that I can remember of a gay person on television. There are no programs today which air at prime time, that are suitable, based on age appropriateness, for children to watch. The programs today contain profanity, sexually explicit scenes, same gender relationships, children out of wedlock and other forms of human sexuality that are not age appropriate for adolescents. For families that do not monitor what their children watch on television, the adolescents are exposed to content that may impact their decisions on human sexuality. â€Å"One content analysis found that sexual content that ranged from flirting to sexual intercourse had increased from slightly more than half of television programs in 1997-1998 to more than two-thirds of the programs in the 1999-2000 season. Depiction of intercourse (suggestive or explicit) occurred in one of every 10 programs† (Kunkel et al. , 2001). With all of the sexual content aired on television, â€Å"only about 1 in 10 of the programs on television that include sexual content mentions the possible consequences or the need to use contraceptives or protection against STDs. Unintended pregnancies rarely are shown as the outcome of unprotected sex and STDs other than HIV/AIDS are almost never discussed† (Kunkel et al. , 2001). â€Å"Abortion is a taboo topic, too controversial for commercial television and magazines (Walsh-Childers et al. , 2002). † With the number of hours reported that adolescents watch television on a daily basis, a great deal of sexual content is viewed. Without having full understanding of their human sexuality, adolescents often times are misconstrued and make inappropriate choices. In addition to the programs that are aired on television, there are a host of advertisements by means of commercials. Commercials are used to advertise products and services and many of these advertisements employ sex to sell products. I have witnessed how advertisements for selling toilet paper have even become sensual. The use of animals is one example of how advertisements lure the adolescent in to watch the commercial while sending subliminal sensual messages. The types of products advertised on television are more sexual now than when I was younger, as there were no products for sex on television. Today, there is a commercial that airs quite often, and not always during primetime, that advertises lubricant used for sex. In the commercial there is a couple (probably not married) in bed. The music used in the commercial is used to create the imagery of â€Å"intense sex†. This commercial is too sexual for television but yet it is aired without the thought that adolescents may view it or is it? The second form of media is music. Music today is twofold, as it is heard and can also be viewed on television music channels. Adolescents are drawn to music so channels such as VH1 and MTV are watched mostly by adolescents. Music videos portrayal of women is very negative, as women are portrayed as sex objects, are usually provocatively dressed and perform lewd sexual dances. Some of these entertainers are minors themselves marketing to those who are both younger and older than them. The impact of the music videos shown on television has is immense on the adolescent mind. The power of influence is great and is a danger to adolescent girls who aspire to be like their favorite music stars. The impact of the power of influence these entertainers have on adolescent girls is seen in their behavior and dress. The adolescent girls dress is more sexual; make up is worn at a much younger age and the age of their first sexual encounter is younger than previous years. â€Å"One fifth to one half of music videos, depending on the music genre (e. g. , country, rock, rap) portray sexuality or eroticism† (DuRant et al. , 1997). This exposure depicts sex as a way to be popular and happy. However, this exposure has the potential to permanently impact the adolescent as they grow up thinking that sex is something that everybody does if they are to fit in. Sexually explicit videos create imagery in the minds of the adolescent so it is not a surprise when young people act out what they have been exposed to on television. Experimenting with sex has become a rite of passage for many adolescents and not just heterosexual sex but bisexuality is on the rise in both genders. Sex is no longer viewed as sacred but casual sex is portrayed as the way to live and not the â€Å"wait until you are married† phrase that was taught. Casual sex is viewed as something that â€Å"everyone† is doing, especially with the common break ups of couples in the music (and entertainment) industry. What was once thought to be â€Å"out of the ordinary† is now viewed as the social norm amongst society. Television music channels air commercials for condoms, STDs, HIV, etc. , however do not equally air commercial for abstinence. Sexually explicit programming and advertising is a detriment to the self-esteem of the adolescent. Young girls and boys strive to attain the bodies of their teen idols (entertainers, models and actresses) and many of those that are idolized have undergone cosmetic surgery, thus making it impossible for the youth to have these perfect bodies. Seeing idols like Brittney Spears dating different men, being married, dressing like a vixen, being photographed by paparazzi wearing no underwear and the list goes on—young girls see this as positive because Brittney Spears is in a position of influence. The picture below of Britney Spears depicts an example of the provocative dress of a â€Å"teen idol† that many adolescent girls admire and want to be like. The third form of media is the magazine. Some of the popular women magazines are now crafted for the adolescent girls and there are magazines that originated with the adolescent girl in mind. When paging through the magazines, some of the same sexual ads are in the women magazines as in the magazines for young girls. Also found are articles about sex. Although teen girls and womens magazines, such as Seventeen and Glamour have increased their coverage of sexual health issues over the past decade, the majority of advertising and editorial content in these magazines remains focused on what girls and women should do to get and keep their man† (Walsh-Childers, Gotthoffer, Lepre, 2002). The clothing advertised is very grown up looking and most of the print advertisements contain models posing in sexual poses for the came ra. Sometimes girl models are positioned very close to one another, which make wonder if they are homosexual. Perhaps this is considered suggestive advertisement. Magazine ads and covers contain provocative poses and some nudity. Magazine covers like this are intentional, as â€Å"sex sells†. Parents waiting to check out in the supermarket may be embarrassed when their children are present, if there has not been open communication regarding sex. Below is an advertisement for Calvin Klein and two magazine covers which clears depicts sexual content on the magazine cover and in the advertisement. Figure 3: Sexual Messages in Advertising Sexual content in mass media has been around as long as mass media itself,’’ Arizona State professor Mary-Lou Galician, a researcher, author and media literacy advocate says. The difference is the proliferation of it. We live in a 24/7 media world now. Take, as an example, the exploitation of Britney Spears, who is literally pulling off her clothes during her performances. Her real talent lies in being an objectified image. And it is an imag e, by extension, of our country around the world. ’’ (Galician, July 17, 2010) The final form of media to be discussed is the World Wide Web. Easy access to the World Wide Web or the internet, as most say, has increased â€Å"access† to inappropriate forms of media. Incredibly, all forms of media may be accessed by way of the internet. Although sexually explicit forms of media have been in existence years, the propagation of this type of has changed, as it is easily accessible through the internet. Adolescents using the internet to conduct research for school projects may, at times, lead to unwanted advertisements or inappropriate pictures. This is exploiting adolescents to unwanted content. An interview was conducted with three people asking the following five questions. †¢Do you see a change in the sexual content of the media today compared to 10-15 years ago? †¢If yes—then what kind of a change? †¢What do you think about the sexual content of media? †¢Do the media impact adolescents? †¢If yes, how do the media impact adolescents? Below is a summary of the responses: After interviewing a select group of people, 100% say that there is a change in sexual content of the media today in comparison to 10-15 years ago. The kinds of changes reported in response of the survey question are as follows; †¢Television commercials are now aired for medicines to treat sexual dysfunctions †¢Television commercials for sexual enhancement products (KY-Gel) †¢Television commercials that use sensuality to sell toilet paper †¢There is more homosexual character on television shows †¢Television reality shows have explicit sexual content and sexual scenes †¢Television prime time is no longer family time due to sexual content on programs †¢Daytime soaps contain high sexual content Disney and the Nickelodeon channels have more boy/girl dating. It seems like most of the shows are about girls thinking about boys. There is also a lot more hugging and kissing. †¢Music videos today are very sexual. Some of the dancing resembles strip dances and the dress is too provocative for the young entertainers performing the dances. The sexual content of the media is too much for average viewing /listening. Some of the sexual content is too explicit. The music videos no longer sell music but it sells sex. †¢Magazines for adolescents contain too many ads that are sexually laden. Internet is too easy to inadvertently access sexual content and allows sexual content to be available instantly. The overall thought about sexual content in media is that there is far too much. All survey participants agreed that media impact adolescents negatively. One of the participants shared that sometimes exposure is the only teacher and in this case, adolescents being exposed to sexually explicit music videos and television shows that contain a sex scene every few minutes or characters having sex with different partners is a bad example of how they should behave sexually. Adolescents deal with peer pressure from their friends. The more adolescents are exposed to, the more likely they will experiment in order to fit in with their peers. Based on my interviews and the following studies that have been conducted, the sexual content in the media is not only impacting the adolescents, but it also impacts society. â€Å"According to Cultivation Theory, television is the most powerful storyteller in the culture, one that continually repeats the myths and ideologies, the facts and patterns of relationships that define and legitimize the social order. According to the cultivation hypothesis, a steady dose of television, over time, acts like the pull of gravity toward an imagined center. This pull results in a shared set of conceptions and expectations about reality among otherwise diverse viewers† (Gerbner, Gross, Morgan, Signorelli, 1994). â€Å"Tests of the hypothesis have found, for example, that junior and senior high school students who frequently viewed daytime soap operas were more likely than those who watched less often to believe that single mothers have relatively easy lives, have good jobs, and do not live in poverty† (Larson, 996). â€Å"Exposure to stereotypical images of gender and sexuality in music videos has been found to increase older adolescents acceptance of nonmarital sexual behavior and interpersonal violence† (Greeson Williams, 1986; Kalof, 1999). â€Å"Heavier television viewers also have been found to have more negative attitudes toward remaining a virgin† (Courtright Baran, 1980). â€Å"Others have shown that prolonged exposure to erotica leads to exaggerated estimates of the prevalence of more unusual kinds of sexual activity (e. g. group sex, sadomasochistic practices, bestiality), less expectation of sexual exclusivity with partners, and apprehension that sexual inactivity constitutes a health risk† (Zillmann, 2000). â€Å"In one experimental study, college student who were exposed to about 5 hours of sexually explicit films over 6 weeks were more likely than a control group to express increased callousness toward women and trivialize rape as a criminal offense† (Zillmann Bryant, 1982). â€Å"Two correlational studies have found relationships between the frequency of television viewing and initiation of intercourse in samples of high school students. However, because these were only cross-sectional analyses, it was not possible to say with certainty which came firstthe TV viewing or the sexual behavior† (Brown Newcomer, 1991; Peterson, Moore, Furstenberg, 1991). Adolescents are easily influenced and unfortunately many adolescents have entertainers as their idols. Unfortunate again, is that many of the teen idols have sold out to the entertainment industry and promote their sexuality in order to sell their product. The type of sexual behavior exhibited by the music industry has great potential to influence the adolescent that is being overly exposed to this type of media. The media has taken an aggressive form of sexual explicitness. The adolescent of the past is no longer the adolescent of today. In the fact, that the adolescent of today is exposed to sexual content in a myriad of media. Adolescents that are exposed to media infiltrated with sexual content may tend to act out what they see. The social norm for sexuality has shifted and desensitization is occurring. This is evident based on the high sexual content in today’s media. Adolescents are challenged with their hormones and peer pressure. They do not need to be exposed to sexual content and further add to their challenges. One of the motives for intercourse in the adolescent is peer pressure, in the form of wanting to be recognized and wanting to be like their peers. With these motives, more pressure from the music videos, television, magazines and the internet are a detriment to the adolescent. It is imperative the parents keep an open line of communication with their adolescent, as it has been proven that the more the adolescent is informed about their sexuality by their parents, then the less likely the adolescent will fall prey to negative sexual behavior. I have friends that are about my age that have three children. They had their children earlier in their marriage, thus their children are older than mine. In sharing, the couple told me that they talk to their kids about everything including sex. They have shared their personal dating experiences with their children. What was interesting to me is that the husband shared that he showers his daughters with love, gifts and takes them on dates. He explained that with the way the world is today and the way young boys are not being taught how to treat a young lady, he wanted to be sure that he personally showed his daughters how they should be treated. His demonstration is first with his wife and then with them in conversation and taking them out. He opens the doors for them and points out how they should not allow themselves to be treated by a man. This was interesting to me because my thought is that if adolescent daughters had a father or male figure in her life exemplifying how a man should treat women, she would be confident as she got older and be able to easily identify the young men who were only interested in her only for sex. When his oldest daughter was a senior in high school, he purchased her a diamond ring and placed it on her wedding ring finger. He explained to her that whoever proposes to her had to at least match what he put on her finger. The wife told me that she explained to both of their daughters how precious they are. She explained to them that diamonds are precious and forever and that what was between their legs was â€Å"better than a diamond†. She told them that the person they chose to give their â€Å"better than a diamond† to should know how to take care of a precious gem and that it should be forever. This is one example of how communication can take place with adolescents to assist them with their self esteem and self worth. Communication is essential to combat the pressures experienced by adolescents. Having high self esteem and self worth will assist in transforming the mind of the adolescent into knowing that being exposed to the media’s high sexual content is not conducive to staying above the teen sexual statistics. Communication was a key factor in the interviews I conducted. In conclusion of â€Å"Media and Adolescent Sexuality†, part of the adolescent development is the formation of sexual beliefs and patterns of behavior. During this development period the adolescent is very impressionable and the information they receive from various means (parents, family members, friends, teachers, the community and the media, etc. ) is what the adolescent uses to develop their personal sexual beliefs and personal patterns of behavior. There have been research and studies conduct to show that media impacts adolescent sexuality. In my opinion, children have greater opportunity of being influenced to whatever they are exposed to, be it positive or negative behavior. In the bible Proverbs 22:6 says â€Å"Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it† (Nelson, Thomas Inc. (1997). What we teach our children is the way they should go, thus it is imperative to teach the adolescent what is right and maintain open communication with them ensuring that the right information regarding human sexuality is shared, otherwise the adolescent will form their behaviors based on the information they receive and with media being a large part of our society they will be exposed to sexual content in a large amount of their everyday lives. Media and Adolescent Sexuality Essay Example Media and Adolescent Sexuality Essay The media has undergone a great transformation over the past 15-20 years and there are numerous sexually charged forms of media that target our younger generation. Part of the adolescent development is the formation of sexual beliefs and patterns of behavior. During this development period the adolescent is very impressionable and the information they receive from various means (parents, family members, friends, teachers, the community and the media, etc. ) is what the adolescent uses to develop their personal sexual beliefs and personal patterns of behavior. With all of the media readily available, adolescents are exposed to sexual content at a much earlier age then previously. The impact of this exposure will be discovered and reported in this research paper. The topic that I have researched is â€Å"Media and Adolescent Sexuality†. For the purpose of this paper â€Å"media† will entail television, music, magazines and the World Wide Web. I have seen a great transformation of media over the years and have noticed the numerous sexually charged forms of media that target our younger generation. Often these forms of media contain homosexual, bisexual and heterosexual references and sexually explicit references. With all of the media readily available, do the media have an impact on adolescent sexuality? Part of the adolescent development is the formation of sexual beliefs and patterns of behavior. During this development period the adolescent is very impressionable and the information received is what is used to develop their personal sexual beliefs and personal patterns of behavior. We will write a custom essay sample on Media and Adolescent Sexuality specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Media and Adolescent Sexuality specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Media and Adolescent Sexuality specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The information they receive may come from their parents, family members, teachers, the community, the media, etc. As a senior high school Sunday school teacher at my church, I often times lead discussions to provoke the youth to think critically about their experiences and the choices that they make. The discussion is always supported biblically, as the bible is the reference used to support why certain choices should be made or not. I find it interesting to hear from the youth during these discussions because they share exactly what they feel and also what they experience. These discussion are very open and leads many of them to ask questions that they may not feel comfortable asking their parents. Many of the discussions involve the various forms of media they watch and listen to and their thoughts of these forms of media based on the bible lessons we review. In taking a close look at the impact of television, the fist form of media to be discussed, I found interesting information documented from surveys which depict the time spent watching television by adolescents. â€Å"In the United States, young people spend 6 to 7 hours each day on average with some form of media. A national survey in 1999 found that one third of young children (2 to 7 years old) and two thirds of older children and adolescents (8 to 18 years old) have a television in their own bedroom. Many of those televisions also are hooked up to cable and a Videocassette Recorder (VCR)† (Roberts, 2000). The time reported, on the survey, that adolescents watch television is high. This amount of time watching television exposes these adolescents to age inappropriate content. Also, with cable television being a constant and always available, this too increases the exposure to age inappropriate content. There are parents who do not monitor what their children watch on television, thus many parents are unaware of the potential harm exposed to their children. Even the channels that are supposed to be age appropriate, such as Nickelodeon and the Disney Channel contain questionable content. Both Nickelodeon and the Disney Channel have programs that contain dating and kissing scenes. Typically young adolescents (8-12) are not interested in the opposite sex but still consider them gross or view them as possessing â€Å"coodees† or germs. The television programs today are not as they were when I was an adolescent. I can remember watching programs like â€Å"Happy Days†, â€Å"Laverne and Shirley† and â€Å"Good Times†. Figure 1 depicts three programs from another television era. Figure 1: Laverne Shirley, Three Company and Good Times â€Å"Happy Days† and â€Å"Good Times† where programs that contained the traditional family unit (Male/Father and Female/Mother). These shows portrayed the everyday lives of the typical family. There were no sexual scenes and if I remember correct, the only type of kiss displayed was between the husband and the wife and was a â€Å"lip touch† kiss not a French kiss. Laverne and Shirley† was a show that portrayed two young women as roommates that hung out with two male friends. These two programs portrayed the everyday lives of the traditional family and young adults. Another program that I remember watching that was the first of its kind; was â€Å"Three’s Company†. This program went against what was considered â€Å"the norm† at that time and for some people was considered â€Å"radical†. The radical tag was due to the storyline. The storyline was a male that was a roommate with three attractive women. The landlord would not allow the group to rent the room together because they were not the same gender so the male in the group, â€Å"Jack Tripper†, pretended to be gay. This was the first portrayal that I can remember of a gay person on television. There are no programs today which air at prime time, that are suitable, based on age appropriateness, for children to watch. The programs today contain profanity, sexually explicit scenes, same gender relationships, children out of wedlock and other forms of human sexuality that are not age appropriate for adolescents. For families that do not monitor what their children watch on television, the adolescents are exposed to content that may impact their decisions on human sexuality. â€Å"One content analysis found that sexual content that ranged from flirting to sexual intercourse had increased from slightly more than half of television programs in 1997-1998 to more than two-thirds of the programs in the 1999-2000 season. Depiction of intercourse (suggestive or explicit) occurred in one of every 10 programs† (Kunkel et al. , 2001). With all of the sexual content aired on television, â€Å"only about 1 in 10 of the programs on television that include sexual content mentions the possible consequences or the need to use contraceptives or protection against STDs. Unintended pregnancies rarely are shown as the outcome of unprotected sex and STDs other than HIV/AIDS are almost never discussed† (Kunkel et al. , 2001). â€Å"Abortion is a taboo topic, too controversial for commercial television and magazines (Walsh-Childers et al. , 2002). † With the number of hours reported that adolescents watch television on a daily basis, a great deal of sexual content is viewed. Without having full understanding of their human sexuality, adolescents often times are misconstrued and make inappropriate choices. In addition to the programs that are aired on television, there are a host of advertisements by means of commercials. Commercials are used to advertise products and services and many of these advertisements employ sex to sell products. I have witnessed how advertisements for selling toilet paper have even become sensual. The use of animals is one example of how advertisements lure the adolescent in to watch the commercial while sending subliminal sensual messages. The types of products advertised on television are more sexual now than when I was younger, as there were no products for sex on television. Today, there is a commercial that airs quite often, and not always during primetime, that advertises lubricant used for sex. In the commercial there is a couple (probably not married) in bed. The music used in the commercial is used to create the imagery of â€Å"intense sex†. This commercial is too sexual for television but yet it is aired without the thought that adolescents may view it or is it? The second form of media is music. Music today is twofold, as it is heard and can also be viewed on television music channels. Adolescents are drawn to music so channels such as VH1 and MTV are watched mostly by adolescents. Music videos portrayal of women is very negative, as women are portrayed as sex objects, are usually provocatively dressed and perform lewd sexual dances. Some of these entertainers are minors themselves marketing to those who are both younger and older than them. The impact of the music videos shown on television has is immense on the adolescent mind. The power of influence is great and is a danger to adolescent girls who aspire to be like their favorite music stars. The impact of the power of influence these entertainers have on adolescent girls is seen in their behavior and dress. The adolescent girls dress is more sexual; make up is worn at a much younger age and the age of their first sexual encounter is younger than previous years. â€Å"One fifth to one half of music videos, depending on the music genre (e. g. , country, rock, rap) portray sexuality or eroticism† (DuRant et al. , 1997). This exposure depicts sex as a way to be popular and happy. However, this exposure has the potential to permanently impact the adolescent as they grow up thinking that sex is something that everybody does if they are to fit in. Sexually explicit videos create imagery in the minds of the adolescent so it is not a surprise when young people act out what they have been exposed to on television. Experimenting with sex has become a rite of passage for many adolescents and not just heterosexual sex but bisexuality is on the rise in both genders. Sex is no longer viewed as sacred but casual sex is portrayed as the way to live and not the â€Å"wait until you are married† phrase that was taught. Casual sex is viewed as something that â€Å"everyone† is doing, especially with the common break ups of couples in the music (and entertainment) industry. What was once thought to be â€Å"out of the ordinary† is now viewed as the social norm amongst society. Television music channels air commercials for condoms, STDs, HIV, etc. , however do not equally air commercial for abstinence. Sexually explicit programming and advertising is a detriment to the self-esteem of the adolescent. Young girls and boys strive to attain the bodies of their teen idols (entertainers, models and actresses) and many of those that are idolized have undergone cosmetic surgery, thus making it impossible for the youth to have these perfect bodies. Seeing idols like Brittney Spears dating different men, being married, dressing like a vixen, being photographed by paparazzi wearing no underwear and the list goes on—young girls see this as positive because Brittney Spears is in a position of influence. The picture below of Britney Spears depicts an example of the provocative dress of a â€Å"teen idol† that many adolescent girls admire and want to be like. The third form of media is the magazine. Some of the popular women magazines are now crafted for the adolescent girls and there are magazines that originated with the adolescent girl in mind. When paging through the magazines, some of the same sexual ads are in the women magazines as in the magazines for young girls. Also found are articles about sex. Although teen girls and womens magazines, such as Seventeen and Glamour have increased their coverage of sexual health issues over the past decade, the majority of advertising and editorial content in these magazines remains focused on what girls and women should do to get and keep their man† (Walsh-Childers, Gotthoffer, Lepre, 2002). The clothing advertised is very grown up looking and most of the print advertisements contain models posing in sexual poses for the came ra. Sometimes girl models are positioned very close to one another, which make wonder if they are homosexual. Perhaps this is considered suggestive advertisement. Magazine ads and covers contain provocative poses and some nudity. Magazine covers like this are intentional, as â€Å"sex sells†. Parents waiting to check out in the supermarket may be embarrassed when their children are present, if there has not been open communication regarding sex. Below is an advertisement for Calvin Klein and two magazine covers which clears depicts sexual content on the magazine cover and in the advertisement. Figure 3: Sexual Messages in Advertising Sexual content in mass media has been around as long as mass media itself,’’ Arizona State professor Mary-Lou Galician, a researcher, author and media literacy advocate says. The difference is the proliferation of it. We live in a 24/7 media world now. Take, as an example, the exploitation of Britney Spears, who is literally pulling off her clothes during her performances. Her real talent lies in being an objectified image. And it is an imag e, by extension, of our country around the world. ’’ (Galician, July 17, 2010) The final form of media to be discussed is the World Wide Web. Easy access to the World Wide Web or the internet, as most say, has increased â€Å"access† to inappropriate forms of media. Incredibly, all forms of media may be accessed by way of the internet. Although sexually explicit forms of media have been in existence years, the propagation of this type of has changed, as it is easily accessible through the internet. Adolescents using the internet to conduct research for school projects may, at times, lead to unwanted advertisements or inappropriate pictures. This is exploiting adolescents to unwanted content. An interview was conducted with three people asking the following five questions. †¢Do you see a change in the sexual content of the media today compared to 10-15 years ago? †¢If yes—then what kind of a change? †¢What do you think about the sexual content of media? †¢Do the media impact adolescents? †¢If yes, how do the media impact adolescents? Below is a summary of the responses: After interviewing a select group of people, 100% say that there is a change in sexual content of the media today in comparison to 10-15 years ago. The kinds of changes reported in response of the survey question are as follows; †¢Television commercials are now aired for medicines to treat sexual dysfunctions †¢Television commercials for sexual enhancement products (KY-Gel) †¢Television commercials that use sensuality to sell toilet paper †¢There is more homosexual character on television shows †¢Television reality shows have explicit sexual content and sexual scenes †¢Television prime time is no longer family time due to sexual content on programs †¢Daytime soaps contain high sexual content Disney and the Nickelodeon channels have more boy/girl dating. It seems like most of the shows are about girls thinking about boys. There is also a lot more hugging and kissing. †¢Music videos today are very sexual. Some of the dancing resembles strip dances and the dress is too provocative for the young entertainers performing the dances. The sexual content of the media is too much for average viewing /listening. Some of the sexual content is too explicit. The music videos no longer sell music but it sells sex. †¢Magazines for adolescents contain too many ads that are sexually laden. Internet is too easy to inadvertently access sexual content and allows sexual content to be available instantly. The overall thought about sexual content in media is that there is far too much. All survey participants agreed that media impact adolescents negatively. One of the participants shared that sometimes exposure is the only teacher and in this case, adolescents being exposed to sexually explicit music videos and television shows that contain a sex scene every few minutes or characters having sex with different partners is a bad example of how they should behave sexually. Adolescents deal with peer pressure from their friends. The more adolescents are exposed to, the more likely they will experiment in order to fit in with their peers. Based on my interviews and the following studies that have been conducted, the sexual content in the media is not only impacting the adolescents, but it also impacts society. â€Å"According to Cultivation Theory, television is the most powerful storyteller in the culture, one that continually repeats the myths and ideologies, the facts and patterns of relationships that define and legitimize the social order. According to the cultivation hypothesis, a steady dose of television, over time, acts like the pull of gravity toward an imagined center. This pull results in a shared set of conceptions and expectations about reality among otherwise diverse viewers† (Gerbner, Gross, Morgan, Signorelli, 1994). â€Å"Tests of the hypothesis have found, for example, that junior and senior high school students who frequently viewed daytime soap operas were more likely than those who watched less often to believe that single mothers have relatively easy lives, have good jobs, and do not live in poverty† (Larson, 996). â€Å"Exposure to stereotypical images of gender and sexuality in music videos has been found to increase older adolescents acceptance of nonmarital sexual behavior and interpersonal violence† (Greeson Williams, 1986; Kalof, 1999). â€Å"Heavier television viewers also have been found to have more negative attitudes toward remaining a virgin† (Courtright Baran, 1980). â€Å"Others have shown that prolonged exposure to erotica leads to exaggerated estimates of the prevalence of more unusual kinds of sexual activity (e. g. group sex, sadomasochistic practices, bestiality), less expectation of sexual exclusivity with partners, and apprehension that sexual inactivity constitutes a health risk† (Zillmann, 2000). â€Å"In one experimental study, college student who were exposed to about 5 hours of sexually explicit films over 6 weeks were more likely than a control group to express increased callousness toward women and trivialize rape as a criminal offense† (Zillmann Bryant, 1982). â€Å"Two correlational studies have found relationships between the frequency of television viewing and initiation of intercourse in samples of high school students. However, because these were only cross-sectional analyses, it was not possible to say with certainty which came firstthe TV viewing or the sexual behavior† (Brown Newcomer, 1991; Peterson, Moore, Furstenberg, 1991). Adolescents are easily influenced and unfortunately many adolescents have entertainers as their idols. Unfortunate again, is that many of the teen idols have sold out to the entertainment industry and promote their sexuality in order to sell their product. The type of sexual behavior exhibited by the music industry has great potential to influence the adolescent that is being overly exposed to this type of media. The media has taken an aggressive form of sexual explicitness. The adolescent of the past is no longer the adolescent of today. In the fact, that the adolescent of today is exposed to sexual content in a myriad of media. Adolescents that are exposed to media infiltrated with sexual content may tend to act out what they see. The social norm for sexuality has shifted and desensitization is occurring. This is evident based on the high sexual content in today’s media. Adolescents are challenged with their hormones and peer pressure. They do not need to be exposed to sexual content and further add to their challenges. One of the motives for intercourse in the adolescent is peer pressure, in the form of wanting to be recognized and wanting to be like their peers. With these motives, more pressure from the music videos, television, magazines and the internet are a detriment to the adolescent. It is imperative the parents keep an open line of communication with their adolescent, as it has been proven that the more the adolescent is informed about their sexuality by their parents, then the less likely the adolescent will fall prey to negative sexual behavior. I have friends that are about my age that have three children. They had their children earlier in their marriage, thus their children are older than mine. In sharing, the couple told me that they talk to their kids about everything including sex. They have shared their personal dating experiences with their children. What was interesting to me is that the husband shared that he showers his daughters with love, gifts and takes them on dates. He explained that with the way the world is today and the way young boys are not being taught how to treat a young lady, he wanted to be sure that he personally showed his daughters how they should be treated. His demonstration is first with his wife and then with them in conversation and taking them out. He opens the doors for them and points out how they should not allow themselves to be treated by a man. This was interesting to me because my thought is that if adolescent daughters had a father or male figure in her life exemplifying how a man should treat women, she would be confident as she got older and be able to easily identify the young men who were only interested in her only for sex. When his oldest daughter was a senior in high school, he purchased her a diamond ring and placed it on her wedding ring finger. He explained to her that whoever proposes to her had to at least match what he put on her finger. The wife told me that she explained to both of their daughters how precious they are. She explained to them that diamonds are precious and forever and that what was between their legs was â€Å"better than a diamond†. She told them that the person they chose to give their â€Å"better than a diamond† to should know how to take care of a precious gem and that it should be forever. This is one example of how communication can take place with adolescents to assist them with their self esteem and self worth. Communication is essential to combat the pressures experienced by adolescents. Having high self esteem and self worth will assist in transforming the mind of the adolescent into knowing that being exposed to the media’s high sexual content is not conducive to staying above the teen sexual statistics. Communication was a key factor in the interviews I conducted. In conclusion of â€Å"Media and Adolescent Sexuality†, part of the adolescent development is the formation of sexual beliefs and patterns of behavior. During this development period the adolescent is very impressionable and the information they receive from various means (parents, family members, friends, teachers, the community and the media, etc. ) is what the adolescent uses to develop their personal sexual beliefs and personal patterns of behavior. There have been research and studies conduct to show that media impacts adolescent sexuality. In my opinion, children have greater opportunity of being influenced to whatever they are exposed to, be it positive or negative behavior. In the bible Proverbs 22:6 says â€Å"Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it† (Nelson, Thomas Inc. (1997). What we teach our children is the way they should go, thus it is imperative to teach the adolescent what is right and maintain open communication with them ensuring that the right information regarding human sexuality is shared, otherwise the adolescent will form their behaviors based on the information they receive and with media being a large part of our society they will be exposed to sexual content in a large amount of their everyday lives.