1. Media Literacy and Sexuality

2. Media Literacy
“Literacy” means the ability to read, identify, understand and interpret material.
Therefore,
“Media Literacy” is the ability to read, identify understand and interpret all the ways in which information, ideas, stories, etc., are shared between people through different forms of media.

3. What is the “Media”?
Media includes all the ways that information, ideas, stories, etc. are shared between people.
It is a form of communication that is often, but not always, recorded in some way.
What are examples of “media”?

4. Types of Media Modern media comes in many different formats.
including print media (books, magazines, newspapers)
television
movies
video games
music
various kinds of software
Internet.

5. What’s on TV? Refer to handout 7.2-2 (page 7)

6. List three television shows that you or your peers watch.
Questions #1
List three television shows that you or your peers watch.

7. What are we watching? The Flash Stranger Things The Simpsons
German Soccer
The Walking Dead
Alice in Wonderland
Storage Wars
Green Arrow
Shameless
Pretty Little Liars

8. Question #2
Do any of these shows have characters who are sexually active? Which ones?

9. Question #3
When characters on these shows have sex, do they usually discuss pregnancy, STIs or using protection? Why do you think that is?

10. Question #4
What do you think is realistic about these television shows?

11. Question #5 –
What is unrealistic about these shows?

12. Question #6
How do these shows promote healthy or unhealthy behaviors?

13. Question #7
Television shows tend to have higher numbers of sexually active teens than in real life. Why do you think that is?

14. Truth Sexual activity shown on TV usually doesn’t reflect real life.
On some dramas, every character is sexually active; but in reality, most young teenagers are not having sex.
Only 47% of all high school students and 16% of teens under the age of 15 have had vaginal intercourse.

15. Think About It….
What effect can these images have on people who are watching?
Does TV add to the myth that all teens are sexually active?
If so, why do you think TV shows continue to overrepresent teen sexual behavior?

16. Advertising Messages
One powerful form of media is advertising, and one primary purpose of media can be to sell things to viewers.

17. Beauty Many advertisers use models to sell a product.
These models represent an unrealistic image of “beauty,” because most people in the world do not look like these models.

18. Why did Calvin Klein use these images?

19. How about this one?

20. And this one?

21. Body Image
“Insecurity” is having a lack of confidence about something.
Many ads tap into people’s insecurities and encourage people to buy products if they want to be like the men and women in the advertisements.

22. How do insecurities relate to self-awareness?
Ads often focus on body
parts or sexuality.
Will I look like Giselle
if I drink milk?

23. What are insecurities that teens may have?
Weight
Height
Perceived attractiveness
Acne
Athletic ability
Grades
Popularity
Others?

24. What is this ad trying to say?

25. Or this one?