Relations between mass media and young adults' sexuality and sexual behaviors : a pilot study -

Abstract

This study focuses on understanding the influence of mass media, especially television, movies, and internet use on young adults’ sexuality and sexual behaviors in relationships. With the rise of different mass media outlets and the widespread of sexuality on television and movies as well as internet use, more young adults are being exposed to contents and internalizing messages from those media. The purpose of this pilot study is to understand whether higher television and movie consumption by young adults relates to their sexual behaviors by being sexually active at a younger age, more sexually active in general, and being sexually active with more uncommitted partners. A self-selected random sample of 55 young adults participated in the online survey. SPSS was used to analyze the results by using descriptive frequency data tables, running correlation tests to check for relationships and correlations, and crosstabs to check whether there is a difference between males and females. The hypotheses tested were true and there was a correlation between higher exposure to television, movies, and internet in relation to higher sexual activity, sexual activity debut at a younger age, and sexual activity with uncommitted partners. It could not be confidently said that there was a significant difference between males and females concerning their sexual activity behaviors.