Even when we removed all the other factors,” Chandra stated.
#Abc family secret life of the american teenager games tv#
Noting that sexual content on TV has doubled in recent years, behavioral scientist Anita Chandra who led the study commented, “Watching this kind of sexual content on television is a powerful factor in increasing the likelihood of a teen pregnancy.” This held true even when factors like parental involvement and economic status were accounted for. Those who watched a high amount of such programming were twice as likely to get pregnant or to get someone else pregnant. A 2008 study published in the Journal of Pediatrics asked 2,000 12- to 17-year-olds to keep track of the television shows they watched that contained sexual content. Not surprisingly, the studies conducted by independent research groups show that sexual content does impact behavior of its viewers.Īccording to research conducted by the independent, nonprofit firm RAND, watching television programs with sexual content not only makes teens more likely to engage in sex, but also increases the likelihood of pregnancy. With sexual content on TV doubling in the past few years, there has been many studies conducted in order to measure the increase in sexual programming to teenager behavior. Sexual Content on TV impacting Teenager Behavior “When you call something ‘family,’ it gives the impression that it’s safe for all members of the family, even young children.” “It’s kind of a misnomer to call ABC Family a family channel,” said Michele MacNeal, head of a local branch of the Parents Television Council. Surprised? Their other show “Greek” is centered around college freshmen pledging into fraternities and sororities engaging in casual sex with a general lighthearted comedic attitude. Disney who owns ABC has released very peculiar ratings such as 18-34 and 12-34 in order to perhaps avoid any controversy of rating the show as a “teenager” show. However the two new programs have raised huge concerns due to it’s heavy sexual content. With episodes showing teens in bed together and frank discussion of masturbation and internet porn, the content is so adult, it prompted one Huffington Post critic to quip, “If that’s family programming, what would non-family programming look like? Frontal nudity?” But network executives claim that Secret Life isn’t pushing the envelope so much as staying right in step with real teen experiences.ĪBC still claiming to be a Family ChannelĪBC has historically been known as a family channel, a network safe for families to watch together during prime time hours. Yet many argue that the show’s material is hardly appropriate entertainment for the 12- to 17-year-old viewers it attracts. Teen viewers also crowned Secret Life with “Choice Summer TV Show” at the 2008 Teen Choice awards. This is millions more than the CW’s much-hyped teen drama Gossip Girl draws in, despite the fact that ABC Family broadcasts in far fewer homes. The show, which focuses on the romantic entanglements of a pregnant 15-year-old girl and her friends, has given ABC Family its biggest audience yet, with nearly 4 million viewers per episode. The previous scenes come from The Secret Life of the American Teenager, a hit show on ABC Family that is changing the network’s image and may change parents’ minds on whether to allow their children to watch the channel.Īccording to the ratings, most parents aren’t concerned. Sound like the kind of racy fare one might see on HBO or its slightly tamer cousin, the CW? Think again. A good-girl French horn player discovers she is pregnant after a one-night stand at band camp and debates with a friend whether or not to terminate the pregnancy. A cheerleader breaks up with her boyfriend after discovering that he accepted oral sex from the school tramp.
ABC has traditionally known as a “family channel” have new programs that centers around sex themes for high schoolers and college students.Ī high-school guidance counselor agrees to change a student’s schedule so that he is more likely to meet a girl who will have sex with him. This article discusses two new programs on ABC called “The Secret Life of the American Teenager” and “Greek”. The impact of television viewing is so large that even a moderate shift in the sexual content of adolescent TV watching could have a substantial effect on their sexual behavior.” “This is the strongest evidence yet that the sexual content of television programs encourages adolescents to initiate sexual intercourse and other sexual activities. Influence of Sexual TV Programming on Teenagers