A key task of adolescence is to gain understanding of sexuality and one’s self as a sexual being. Over the past two decades, a great deal of evidence has accumulated linking adolescents’ use of media with their developing attitudes and beliefs related to sex, as well as their sexual behavior and sexual health. Some of these associations imply profound real and potential influences of sexual media on social attitudes, life trajectories, and public health. Our group is reviewing this literature in order to elucidate the conditions under which use of media, from television to social networking sites, is likely to have a positive or negative influence on youth, to identify key gaps and emerging issues in our understanding of these relationships, and develop recommendations for policy makers, parents, and other stakeholders.
WORKGROUP MEMBERS
Workgroup Chair
Rebecca L. Collins, PhD
Victor C. Strasburger, PhD
Victor C. Strasburger, PhD
Professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM
Jane D. Brown, PhD
Jane D. Brown, PhD
Professor, School of Media and Journalism, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Edward Donnerstein, PhD
Edward Donnerstein, PhD
Professor, Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
Amanda Lenhart, MA
L. Monique Ward, PhD
L. Monique Ward, PhD
Professor, Psychology Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Michelle Schira Hagerman, PhD
William O’Byrne, PhD
