Sex on TV Leads to Teenage Mums

Researchers at the Rand Corporation report that teens exposed to the most sexual content on TV are twice as likely as teens watching less of this material to become pregnant before they reach age 20. And the problem is accelerating thanks to the rise of the Internet, Time reports. Children are accessing television not just via their home TV but on the computer and on cell phones. “It’s not just appointment television, now it’s anytime television,” says Dr. Donald Shifrin, former chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Committee on Communications. “And this study was begun seven years ago, so if it were done today, [the authors] would probably find more evidence of sex on screens that affects youngsters’ behaviors.”