The article will focus on how sexualized media affects adolescents' expectations of their partners. Sexualized media is defined as media that includes sexual themes, such as pornography, movies with explicit scenes, music videos, magazines, and advertisements. Adolescence is a stage of life characterized by physical and psychological changes that prepare individuals for adulthood. During this time, teenagers often explore their sexuality through media consumption and social interactions.
Exposure to sexualized media can alter their expectations of what a healthy relationship should look like. This article discusses how sexualized media impacts four aspects of partner behavior: communication, emotional intimacy, physical intimacy, and violence. The author presents evidence from studies examining the effects of media consumption on these behaviors.
The article suggests ways parents and educators can help adolescents navigate this issue.
Communication
Sexualized media portrays relationships as primarily based on physical attraction and sexual desire. Adolescents may assume that partners who show interest in each other exclusively through sex are ideal. As a result, they may have unrealistic expectations about how much they need to communicate verbally or emotionally with their partners to maintain a relationship.
One study found that men who watched more pornography were less likely to initiate conversations with their girlfriends (Rasmussen et al., 2013). Another study found that women who viewed more romantic comedies were less satisfied with their communication skills (Owens & Becker, 2004). Sexualized media also tends to emphasize body language over verbal communication, which can lead to misunderstandings and conflict in real-life relationships.
Sexualized media may encourage adolescents to prioritize physical intimacy over emotional closeness, which can damage their ability to form meaningful connections with others.
Adolescents' exposure to sexualized media may affect their perceptions of what constitutes healthy communication patterns in relationships.
Emotional Intimacy
Sexualized media often portrays relationships as purely physical and superficial. This can lead teenagers to believe that emotional intimacy is unnecessary or even undesirable. One study found that men who watched more pornography were less interested in forming emotional bonds with their partners (Hald, 2016). Another study found that women who viewed more music videos reported lower levels of satisfaction in their relationships (Pilkington et al., 2018). Adolescents exposed to sexualized media may have difficulty expressing their emotions and connecting emotionally with others. They may see emotional vulnerability as a sign of weakness or a burden rather than an essential part of a healthy relationship.
They may assume that they need to be attractive to get attention from potential partners, leading to self-objectification and negative body image issues.
Sexualized media can impact adolescents' expectations for emotional intimacy and the ability to build meaningful relationships.
Physical Intimacy
Sexualized media often depicts physical intimacy as the main goal of relationships. Adolescents who consume this type of media may believe that sex is the only way to show affection or demonstrate love. They may also assume that they must be physically perfect to attract partners, which can lead to unhealthy behaviors like dieting, excessive exercise, or cosmetic surgery. Studies have shown that exposure to media can increase adolescents' interest in experimenting with new sexual practices and partners (Bailey et al., 2015; Lustig & Glasser, 2019). This can result in risky behaviors such as unsafe sex, STDs, and pregnancy.
Some studies suggest that pornography consumption may contribute to violence against women (Fisher et al., 2007).
Adolescents may develop a distorted view of what constitutes healthy sexual behavior, causing them to engage in abusive or coercive behavior themselves.
Sexualized media may alter adolescents' perceptions of physical intimacy and its role in relationships.
Violence
Sexualized media often portrays violence as normal or even desirable in relationships.
Many pornographic films depict women being treated violently during sex acts, while music videos often glamorize violence against women (Graham-Kevan & Archard, 2016). One study found that men who watched more violent pornography were more likely to support sexual assault than those who did not (Hald, 2016). Another study found that boys who viewed more sexualized media were more likely to engage in sexual harassment of their peers (Lindberg et al., 2008). Adolescents exposed to this type of media may normalize violence against women and view it as an acceptable form of expression of masculinity. They may also assume that aggressive behavior is necessary for attraction or arousal.
Sexualized media can shape adolescents' views on violence and how they interact with others romantically.
Exposure to sexualized media may impact adolescents' expectations of partner behavior in several ways. First, it may affect communication patterns, leading to misunderstandings and conflict in real-life relationships. Second, it may discourage emotional closeness and make it difficult for teenagers to build meaningful connections. Third, it may promote unhealthy behaviors such as unsafe sex and abusive att
How does exposure to sexualized media alter adolescents' expectations of partner behavior?
Exposure to sexually explicit media such as pornography can shape teenagers' perceptions and expectations about romantic relationships. While some research has suggested that viewing such content may lead to unrealistic expectations about what constitutes “normal” intimate behavior, others have argued that it can actually help young people feel more comfortable with their bodies and desires.