The problem is that sex on TV is often unrealistic. It is portrayed as spontaneous, risk-free, romantic and glamorous, plus it gives the impression that everyone is doing it, says Ms. Ward. As a result some young people may feel confused or disappointed about their own dating relationships when, in fact, it is the expectations that are distorted, she concludes. The university study is the latest look at TV as sex educator. In February, the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation released a study showing that two-thirds of prime time TV shows and 56 percent of all TV have sexual content.
Soap operas have the most sex, followed buy movies and talk shows.
Despite all the heavy breathing, relatively few shows offer responsible sexual messages about contraceptive use, abstinence or protection against sexually transmitted diseases, said Kaiser's Sex on TV study. The findings prompted Health and Human Services Secretary Donna E. Shalala to compare TV sex to the distorted mirror at a carnival fun house. She suggested that Hollywood showcase some young people who have something on their minds other than girls, money, parties and more girls. Earlier this month, the Parents Television Council released a study saying that sexual references during family hour shows increased 77 percent between 1997 and 1999. The falls seasons offerings promise to be even raunchier, said L. Brent Bozell the III, president of the council, who decried the accelerating degradation.