“Oversaturation” of Sexual Themes
Identity development is a lifelong process in my opinion. As children, we copy mommy or daddy. Disney, also, provides a backdrop as children play dress up pretending to be princesses, princes, Peter Pan, Wendy, and the list goes on. Then come the teen years. We find out who we are in small groups….. then as we further develop our skills or strengths, we figure more out about what we like and who we are through trial and error (i.e. – we try out many roles).
What else influences our complex identities? WE are multi-faceted or multidimensional people so there’s the vocational, spiritual, physical, sexual, and so on, dimensions or sides of us. And identity development can be hard, maybe confusing, and influenced deeply relative to who we are around and what we see and what we experience. Nature and nurture influence us. There are many influences especially as we are developing. As someone recently stated, “Media has a tight grasp on society today” and then they quoted a stat of typically 7 hours a day. Incredible. Media has a powerful influence over those growing in identity in adolescence (or at any age). Another scary stat: In a study, 50 percent of teens feel that they are addicted (Reid, 2016).
Some other issues in adolescence, as it is called the identity versus confusion stage (Erikson’s psychosocial theory), are comparison, rejection, bullying, pornography, desensitization to aggressive sexual behavior and violence in addition to media addiction. Teens may begin to feel confused or unsure of themselves as they grow from childhood to adolescence. “Sexual behavior is popular and garnishes acceptance” a young adult told me about the teen years. Is that a scary and dangerous thought? Just think about what’s on tv and in music videos now. Oversexualization is prominent and people are “oversaturated” with sex, sexual identities, and related content.
Conclusion: “……..when we view positive and popularized images and videos of different sexualities, we may resonate with them not because the positive emotions are coming from within us, but from the idea that the sexually explicit themes we are viewing are good and popular and right due to attention in the media and the romanticization surrounding these ideas.” So, pair this young adult’s conclusion with the amount of time spent on media and the content of the media. What are people being shaped towards? “The content of media today is creating a generation of individuals with more depression, insecurity, anxiety and especially confusion in the realm of gender and sexual identities.” Thank you for this insight.
Matthew 6:22-23 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!”
We all have darkness(sin), so this verse is not relative to identities but to the viewing of oversexualized material or pornography or too much media. Confusion is difficult and we are always growing in identity. How could healthy viewing, healthy balance in life, exercise, focus on health, and leaning into God have an impact? His light shines in the darkness. Per Romans 13:13 “Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.”
Prayers for His light to shine this Christmas season in you. Feel His love in the darkness or confusion or whatever you might be dealing with. He is for you and when we can find our identity in Him, it can help a lot of hurts.
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