The Portrayal of Sex and Violence in the 20th Century

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Introduction
While technology keeps evolving, sex and violence remain contentious issues regarding their portrayal in the media. According to Potter (2016), in their efforts to avoid being dull, the entertainment media play around with the line of acceptability of controversial topics, sex and violence being two of them. With the increased access to images and videos in the modern world, the issues of sex and violence still characterize the entertainment content advanced to audiences. This paper examines the portrayal of sex and violence in the 20th century, its adverse effects, recommendations for effects minimization, and the legal and ethical implications surrounding the issues.
The portrayal of Sex and Violence in the 20th Century
Significant advancements in many industries characterized the 20th century, and the media industry was not left behind. A research article by Stern and Handel (2001) examined how sexuality was portrayed in the mass media during the 20th century. According to the authors, the 1980s witnessed an increase in sexually explicit images of both men and women in advertising. Furthermore, since the 1950s, nudity, and sex increasingly became part of motion pictures (Stern & Handel, 2001). As for primetime television, there was little explicit sexuality in the mid-1970s, but after that, there was an upswing in sexual content.
Violence was part of the media in the 20th century. According to Porter (2016), violence was the most studied content form from around 1950 to the turn of the century. As reported by the author, violence was found in 57% - 80% of all entertainment content. Verbal violence also characterized television in America, with 9.5 acts of violence per hour of content being found by researchers in the early 1980s (Porter, 2016). The rate of violence in television content also increased from the 1980s to the end of the century. Therefore, it is safe to say the 20th century witnessed an increase in the portrayal of sex and violence in the media.
Adverse Effects of Sex and Violence
The adverse effects of sex and violence on children have been elevated due to the advancement of media technology. As a result of technological advancement, children now have access to violent video games and internet-enabled devices that increase the harmful effects of the portrayal of sex and violence. As a result of sexting boosted by access to smartphones and the Internet, young people are driven to engage in adolescent risk behaviors such as substance abuse and sexual activity (Collins et al., 2017). Social media use also exposes young people to body shaming, lower sexual assertiveness, and self-objectification (Collins et al., 2017). In a BBC article, a father calls for pornography websites to require proof of age to access content (Jeffreys, 2021). Given the easiness of access to sexually explicit materials, a call for tighter measures is justified.
Adults also face the adverse effects of sex and violence as a result of media technology use. Galdi and Guizzo (2020) noted that media induces sexual harassment by promoting the objectification of people, particularly women. As per a survey of US adults by Pew Research Center, 41% of Americans have experienced a form of harassment online (Vogels, 2021). An article in the New York Times reports on how stakeholders in English Soccer boycotted social media to protest online harassment and prompt social media companies to take stricter measures (Jiménez & Das, 2021). Therefore, there is the prevalence of new forms of abuse in this age of new media, including cyberbullying.
Recommendations
The effects of sex and violence in media can be minimized by efforts from critical stakeholders in the industry. Media companies, specifically social media companies, need to develop more severe measures to deal with sexual content and violent perpetrators. It can be done in collaboration with different enforcement authorities in different jurisdictions. School-based media literacy programs can also help children and young adults navigate their ways in media platforms. Parents can also monitor and engage with their children in regards to what they are watching. Finally, policymakers should continua...