Tips for Managing Sexual Media Content

Though it seems that sexual content is all over the media, there are some ways you can manage or reduce the negative effects of this exposure.

Reduce exposure
You can reduce your family's exposure to sexual media content by looking at the content descriptors for TV shows and movies. See whether the ratings have an indication of how much sexual content is present, or use the parent reviews from CommonSenseMedia to learn more about what is present in the media your family is interested in using.

Practice online safety
Place computers in common areas of your home so that your family is less likely to explore sexual content on the Internet or communicate with strangers. Speak to your children about Internet safety including online sexual predators, chat rooms, social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook, and online pornography. Research different kinds of filtering software so that your computer does not display unwanted pornography.

Discuss sexual health with your children
If you talk regularly to your children about sexual health and encourage them to ask questions, they may be less likely to seek out that information from often unreliable media sources. Increasing their awareness may also help them realize when media depictions are unrealistic.

 

CMCH resources on sexual behavior and media are made possible
by a grant from the Aerosmith Foundation.