In my previous post, I suggested a connection between watching sexual content on TV and having more permissive attitudes about sex in general (Ward, Epstein, Caruthers, & Merriwether, 2011; Ward & Friedman, 2006; Ward & Rivadeneyra, 1999). Now that you know this, do you agree? And where do we go from here? The critical thing to understand about this research is that it SUGGESTS a … Continue reading What Teens Learn from Watching Television: Part 2

Hold on tight, folks, because I’m gonna get a bit theoretical today. Many people tend to get nervous when talking about research. Still, it is SO important to know about it, especially when understanding the effects of media on teens and young adults. Social theories try to help explain why people behave the way they do. In terms of media, social learning theory tends to … Continue reading What Teens Learn from Watching Television: Part 1