A study by the American Academy of Pediatrics found that children with a television (or computer) in their bedrooms show a greater risk for early sexual behavior.

The report titled, “Sexuality, Contraception and the Media” says that exposure to sexual content in TV and other media in early adolescence can as much as double kids’ risk of early sexual intercourse.

According to the report:

American children and teenagers spend more than 7 hours/day with a variety of different media. Those media are filled with sexual messages and images, many of which are unrealistic. On television (TV), which remains the predominant medium in terms of time spent for all young people, more than 75% of prime-time programs contain sexual content, yet only 14% of sexual incidents mention any risks or responsibilities of sexual activity. Talk about sex on TV can occur as often as 8 to 10 times per hour.  Between 1997 and 2001 alone, the amount of sexual content on TV nearly doubled.

So the real problem is allowing your children to watch too much television and shows that are not age-appropriate. But these days, finding age-appropriate shows and movies can be difficult. Even rated PG movies contain sexual innuendos. Remember the Toy Story 3 Barbie and Ken scenes? And parents who use the argument that those kind of jokes “go over their kids heads,” are wrong according to the AAP.

Of course it’s not just television and movies, it’s music too. I had a preschooler tell me he loves Lady Gaga.

What are your thoughts on the media’s influence? Does your kid have a TV in his room?

(Photo: Flickr/Paul Robertson)

2 replies on “Children With TVs in Their Room May Become Sexually Active Earlier”

  1. Sure had the opposite effect on me. Maybe if I couldn’t just stay in and watch SNL in bed, I might have had to go out and talk to girls.

  2. Is early sex correlated with time spent watching TV or having a TV in the bedroom? And do they mean “early” or “premature”?

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