Teen Viewers Want to See Less Sexual Content in Movies, TV Shows, Report Finds

A young girl watches movies and eats popcorn in a stock photo. Anton27/Shutterstock

Research from the University of California—Los Angeles (UCLA) indicates that younger audiences are increasingly favoring television shows and movies that do not contain sexual content.

The newly published report, titled “Teens and Screens,” found that 62.4 percent of teenagers and young adults aged 14 to 24 believe that sexual content is not required to advance the plot of television programs and films.

The survey, conducted by UCLA’s Center for Scholars & Storytellers (CSS), a nonprofit organization focused on psychology research and media creation, polled 1,644 adolescents between the ages of 10 and 24 about their perceptions of various types of media.

The report notes that children under the age of 13 were not asked questions related to sex. Nevertheless, 63.5 percent of those surveyed still preferred storylines that feature platonic relationships instead of romantic ones.

One 12-year-old girl who participated in the survey told researchers that there should be a greater emphasis on entertainment content centered on authentic friendships.

“Just because boys and girls are friends doesn’t mean they have to be romantic,” she said.

The results outlined in the annual report represent a notable shift from the previous year’s findings.

In 2023, 47.5 percent of respondents shared the view that plotlines involving sexual themes were unnecessary, and 51.5 percent said they wanted to see more platonic relationships depicted on the screen.

Reflecting on the changes in data, Yalda T. Uhls, founder and executive director of CSS, told The Epoch Times that younger audiences have become fatigued by recurring romantic themes often portrayed in entertainment.

“Young people are speaking up and saying they don’t want to be fed the same old tropes,” Uhls said. “Friends are critically important during adolescence, and they want to see that reflected in the media they consume.”

Menije Boduryan-Turner, founder and clinical director of the Woodland Hills, California-based practice Embracing You Therapy, told The Epoch Times that the interests of teenagers are far more diverse.

“Teens are not ‘just’ interested in dating. They are thoughtful, curious, and mature young people who want all aspects of their lives represented in movies and shows,” she said.

“Providing TV shows and/or movies that help teens work through non-romantic relationships will help them become young adults who have more stable and mature interpersonal relationships with all people.”

Impact of Sexual Content

Younger audiences are especially susceptible to outside influences, such as the media, because brain development is not fully complete until a person is in his or her mid-to-late 20s, the National Institute of Mental Health reports.

“Media can impact the social-emotional well-being of young people in both positive and negative ways,” Uhls said. “There are many factors that come into play, most importantly, the kind of content, but also the context and the individual themselves as everyone is different.”

Michaela Renee Johnson, a licensed marriage and family therapist, told The Epoch Times that the adolescent years are a critical period of self-discovery for young individuals who are striving to develop their identity, values, and beliefs as they move into adulthood.

“Without proper guidance, media portrayals of sex can blur the line between fiction and reality, potentially leading youth to adopt unrealistic or distorted views of themselves and their relationships,” the bestselling author said.

“Exposure to sexualized images or idealized bodies on screen can lead to self-consciousness and social comparisons. This comparison often fosters feelings of inadequacy or shame, especially if young people feel their own bodies or experiences don’t align with what’s portrayed in media.

“This early conditioning may shape unrealistic sexual expectations and can hinder the ability to form authentic, healthy connections in real life.”

Johnson said that watching sexual content can also activate the brain’s reward system by releasing dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with feelings of pleasure and satisfaction.

“For young people, repeated exposure can create reliance on this stimulation, potentially leading to compulsive viewing or addiction-like patterns,” she said.

Age-Appropriate Storytelling

Touching on the consequences of early exposure to sexual content, Boduryan-Turner emphasized the importance of providing youth with age-appropriate entertainment.

“Entertainment content is very influential and impactful in shaping the social and emotional journey of the teens,” she said, referencing the sway that plots, storylines, and characters can have on the growing minds of younger viewers.

“The ‘hero’ in a movie can become a model where a teen starts to draw conclusions about life, relationships, and values. For example, when they see their action movie star save the world, they see the importance of values such as courage, justice, and doing the right thing.”

Through the CSS’s initiatives, Uhls, a former movie executive, and her team are working to ensure that suitable, uplifting content is made available for adolescents on both the big and small screens.

“We are really proud of our ‘Teens and Screens’ research, which is being actively discussed at many studios in Hollywood,” she said. “Given how much media that young people consume, our goal is to help storytellers make stories that support the well-being of young people.

“We envision a world where media uplifts and positively impacts young people, fostering growth and inclusivity while reducing harmful stereotypes.”