An assistant professor of nursing at Florida Atlantic University recently completed a study intended to determine how much the media really influences young girls. Josie Weiss interviewed 20 girls ages 14 to 18 who are incarcerated at VisionQuest - an intervention program for at-risk teens.

"The teens had all been sexually active, and many had unplanned and unprotected sex. While they said their parents and teachers encouraged them to make responsible sexual choices, the sexually explicit messages [in the media] were more powerful in shaping their attitudes."

Though Weiss conducted her study with teens that have criminal histories, she's certain the results would be the same among the teen population at large.

Labels: media, promiscuity, sex