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How the Media Affects Perceptions of Sex

By: Cassidy Albers

photo credit: classic_film Bus Stop (1956): Don Murray, Marilyn Monroe via photopin (license)

When was the last time you watched a movie with sexual content? I’m guessing it was fairly recent. Sex in movies has become normal, maybe even expected by audiences, but recent studies have proved that the media’s portrayal of sex can affect viewers’ perception of the topic.

One common misperception about sex is that married sex is rare, if not, nonexistent. The media portrays married sex differently from unmarried sex. The most common ‘sexual activity’ among married couples in movies is passionate kissing, while movies with unmarried couples include “implied intercourse” (Dempsey & Reichert, 2000). This implies that sex among married couples is rare and boring compared to unmarried sex. While in some cases this might be true, most married sex occurs around once a week (Weiss, 2014).

Another common misperception is most people have sex all the time. A lot of people believe the frequency at which their peers have sex is a great deal higher than what it actually is. Interestingly, these beliefs correlated with the person’s media consumption (Chia & Lee, 2008). Remember when “Netflix and Chill” was trendy? With this phrase, commonly known as a code for sex, blowing up our newsfeed, it’s no wonder that people believe in a higher frequency of sex.

Overall, the media can skew people’s perceptions of sex through movies, news, etc. It’s important to realize that your perceptions on sex could be false. With the media constantly bringing up the topic of sex, it’s easy to believe certain things when that’s all you see. Furthermore, it’s important to watch out for how much sexual content children are exposed to as they grow up. From the different studies, one can conclude that the media’s portrayal of sex isn’t always true, and it can directly affect a person’s perception and actions.

 

Dempsey, J.M. & Reichert, T. (2000). Portrayal of married sex in the movies. Sexuality and Culture, 4(3), 21-36. doi: 10.1007/s12119-000-1019-3

Weiss, R. (2014). How Much Sex is Healthy?. The Huffington Post. Retrieved from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-weiss/how-much-sex-is-healthy_b_4214472.html

Chia, S. C., & Lee, W. (2008). Pluralistic ignorance about sex: The direct and the indirect effects of media consumption on college students’ misperception of sex-related peer norms. International Journal of Public Opinion Research, 20, 52–73. doi: 10.1093/ijpor/edn005

Dear Family Scientist: Can roommates be considered family?

photo credit: elizabeth nolan brown morning @ the warehouse via photopin (license)

Dear Family Scientist,

I’m a first year in college and have been having a hard time adjusting to this new way of life, but my roommates are always there for me. I have three of them and we’ve been living with each other for over a semester now. We do everything with one another, from eating to studying to gossiping and even partying. They’re the first people I go to for everything, and I feel closer to them than I’ve ever felt to others. It’s to the point now where feel more comfortable talking to them about my problems than I do my siblings and parents. They are my central support system, and I know that they feel the same way about me. So I guess my question is this: can your roommates be considered family or is that strictly biological?
Yours truly,
School Sibling

 

Dear School Sibling,
If you try to search for what a family is, you will see that there are many different definitions. These definitions help clarify what exactly is meant by “family.” A group of people can be bound by any number of things: from emotional bonds to biological connections to legal responsibility. A fairly concrete definition of family is a legal family. This what most people refer to as either immediate family, or their household. A legal family is “a group of individuals related by birth, marriage, or adoption” (Cohen, 2015). This can include anyone from biological siblings to step parents. A personal family is a more subjective term based on a person’s own definition. Cohen defines it as “a group of people we feel related to and who we expect to define us as members of their family as well” (Cohen, 2015). Perhaps this could apply to you and your roommates, as this more individual definition could encompass the support you all show each other. According to an article published in the Journal of Family Therapy, not all people “regard their biological family as their primary social support system” (Bor, de Plessis & Russell, 2004). So long story short, yes your roommates can be considered your family; it just depends which definition you are using. From a legal standpoint, and as far as the government or the census is concerned, no. However, if you feel that close emotional and supportive bond with them, then yes, they are in your family.
Cordially,
Family Scientist

 

References:
Cohen, P. N. (2015). The family: Diversity, inequality, and social change. New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Co.
Bor, R., De Plessis, P., & Russell, M. (2004). The impact of disclosure of HIV on the index patient’s self-defined family. Journal of Family Therapy, 26, 167-192. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-6427.2004.00277.x

 

By: Jessica Fenton, Dana Szili, Alexis Gomes, Cameron Wirt, and Dan McCullough

Welcome to The Family Scientist!

I love a good family science-related blog. I like Family InequalityThere’s Research On That!, Science of Relationships, and Sex & Psychology. I recently created an assignment for my Human Development and Family Science 2200, Family Development, students to write their own family science blog post. I have been blown away by some of the submissions! I will be posting some of the best posts to this blog, as well as a new feature called “Ask a Family Scientist.” Enjoy!