Too Sexy, Too Young

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   When someone says the word sexy, what comes to mind? Normally, the first thing that pops into our heads is a half- naked model on a billboard advertising underwear of some sort.

   But is that really what our society has come to -- wearing things that barely cover half of our bodies? Obviously, we have fallen to that level of degradation.

   This generation is all about the instant gratification. Girls wear outfits that leave very little to the imagination to get attention from guys. 

   But why is this? Girls did not just wake up one day and decide they would start showing off their bodies. I believe that society, or in many cases, Hollywood can be blamed for putting the idea into our heads.

   From their earliest years, children watch television shows and movies that insist sex appeal is a personal quality people need to develop to the fullest. Song lyrics can also have a huge impact on how we think we should dress and act.

   Teenagers are primarily at risk from this sort of mass-market encouragement. Sexual content is regularly marketed to younger children, pre-teens and teens and this affects young people's sexual activity and beliefs about sex before they should even be introduced to the idea of sex.

   According to research done by the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, before parents raised an outcry, Abercrombie and Fitch marketed a line of thong underwear decorated with sexually provocative phrases such as "Wink Wink" and "Eye Candy" to 10-year-olds. Yeah, you read that correctly -- 10-year-olds.

   Although TV, music and movies are a popular way to advertise sex to teenagers, they have a seemingly endless supply of information about sex on the Internet. And not only information about sex, they can get relatively easy access to pornography.

   We, as teens, also have our own cultural beliefs about what is normal sexual behavior. Although most teenage girls believe that sex equals love, other teens -- especially boys -- believe that sex is not the ultimate expression of commitment, but just a casual activity. That is, of course, what we see on TV. 

   You should also learn the facts before getting into a sexual relationship. Sex is sex. Oral sex does count and having sex definitely does not make you an adult.

   Having sex at a young age brings along too many problems to count. The girl could get pregnant, or you could get a sexually transmitted disease that could change the way you live your life. Remember, protection does not always work.  

   Girls, do yourselves a favor and ignore the media’s attempts to steal your innocence. Keep your health and your heart safe by waiting until you are married, preserving your body until then. You do not have to dress like a slut to get a guy’s attention, and if you do then he probably is not a guy you would want to date anyway.