Some network executives, producers, and writers claim that sex is a reality their shows must explore to give teen characters credibility. Teens talk about sex, teens have sex, and by the time they graduate from high school, teens will have spent about 3,000 more hours in front of the television than in the classroom. At its annual Shine Awards for Sexual Health in Entertainment, the Media Project honors shows that shed an educational light on issues surrounding sex and sexuality.
Teenagers talk about sex.
This statistic came from a study funded by the Kaiser Family Foundation. That study also revealed that more than 56 percent of all network primetime shows contain talk about sex or sexual behavior. Television producers and writers use the Media Project as a resource on a single episode or to answer a question that will assist in approaching a certain topic or story line. Then the Media Project encouraged the producers to add a toll-free number for a rape hotline at the show s end. It doesn t take away from the creative vision to show a condom wrapper on a bedside table or show a character taking a pill before she brushes her teeth in the morning.