News Broadcasting
TV intensifies teen’s sex drive: US study
MUMBAI: A study conducted in the US by research organisation RAND Corporation has revealed that teens who watch sex on TV are likely to become sexually active sooner.
According to the study, watching TV shows with sexual content apparently hastens the initiation of teen sexual activity. The study has also revealed that sexual talk on TV has the same effect on teens as depictions of sex.
Two recent studies conducted by RAND Health behavioral scientist Rebecca Collins examined the impact of TV sex on teenagers’ sexual beliefs and activities. The results also revealed that some viewing effects could be positive. It says shows with content about contraception and pregnancy can help to educate teens about the risks and consequences of sex-and can also foster beneficial dialogue between teens and parents.
pic courtesy www.rand.org
The first RAND study, funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, examined TV’s role in the early initiation of intercourse is an important public health issue. Analysts surveyed a national sample of households containing an adolescent from 12 to 17 years old. A total of 1,762 adolescents were asked about their sexual experiences and also their television viewing habits and, one year later, were surveyed again.
The results showed that heavy exposure to sexual content on television related strongly to teens’ initiation of intercourse or their progression to more advanced sexual activities apart from intercourse in the following year. According to the study, youths who watched the most sexual content “acted older”: a 12-year-old at the highest levels of exposure behaved like a 14- or 15-year-old at the lowest levels. The study also identified other factors that increased the likelihood that teens would initiate intercourse, including being older, having older friends, getting lower grades, engaging in rule-breaking.
The other study which examined television’s potential as a tool for educating teens about sexual risks and safe behavior found that TV can also sex educator for teens can foster communication with parents on the topic.
The study report concludes with the suggestion that teens’ exposure to sexual content on television should be utilised by increasing the percentage of portrayals of sexual risk and safety in the shows. The researchers feel that this will inhibit early sexual activity, increase knowledge of sexual risks and stimulate dialogue with parents.
And there are those who would want to take the findings only with a pinch of salt. Critics who believe the study is an exaggerated one argue that the study hasn’t taken into account kids’ physical maturity and the kind of shows they are watching.
It is high time someone did a similar study in India. Especially in the light of the recent Bombay High Court order which restrained Indian channels from telecasting adult shows and also following reports about two teenagers allegedly raping a nine-year old girl in suburban Mumbai.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Kolkata Town Hall on Hooghly River
‘Bhalobasa Bengal Inspiring Bharat’ event on April 20 brings cultural icons, trailblazing women and leaders aboard a cruise to celebrate Bengal’s enduring influence.
MUMBAI: Bengal is about to make fresh waves on the Hooghly and this time the current is pure conversation. CNN-News18 is taking its iconic Town Hall format to the waters of the iconic Hooghly River on 20 April 2026 with a special edition titled ‘Bhalobasa Bengal – Inspiring Bharat’. The floating event will celebrate the state’s rich cultural legacy and how its ideas, creativity and spirit continue to shape the rest of the country.
The unique riverside setting draws on Bengal’s history as a cradle of reform, art and intellectual thought. The speaker line-up mirrors that diversity: cultural heavyweights Mithun Chakraborty and Sreenanda Shankar will share the stage with trailblazing “Devis” such as Tanya Sanyal (India’s first woman firefighter in aviation), Ipsita Chakraborty (Kolkata’s first woman bartender) and Reshma Nilofer Visalakshi (Nari Shakti awardee and marine pilot). Music will flow through the celebrated pianist-vocalist duo Sourendro and Soumyojit, while public life and governance will be represented by Smriti Irani, Leander Paes, Saira Shah Halim, Keya Ghosh, Rekha Patra, Roopa Ganguly and Babul Supriyo.
CNN-News18, editorial affairs director, Rahul Shivshankar, said the event honours voices that carry Bengal’s legacy forward. Smriti Mehra, CEO – English & Business News, Network18, added that Bengal’s stories resonate far beyond its borders, especially as the state heads into polls.
From the first woman to battle flames in the skies to legendary actors who shaped Indian cinema, the gathering promises a rich mix of inspiration, courage and candid dialogue. In a city where culture has always flowed as freely as the river itself, CNN-News18 is turning the Hooghly into a floating forum for ideas that matter.
Tune in on 20 April on CNN-News18, CTV and YouTube to catch Bengal’s heartbeat in full flow.
