Rewriting sex education: emerging adults' perceptions of sexual content in popular entertainment media and its relevance to sexuality education.
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| Title: | Rewriting sex education: emerging adults' perceptions of sexual content in popular entertainment media and its relevance to sexuality education. |
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| Authors: | Van Wichelen, Thalia1 (AUTHOR) thalia.vanwichelen@uantwerpen.be |
| Source: | Sex Education. Jul2026, Vol. 26 Issue 4, p536-551. 16p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Sex education, *Motivation (Psychology), *Experience, *Students, *Digital media, *Student attitudes, *College students, *Adolescence, *Adults, Self-efficacy, Interviewing, Human sexuality, Judgment sampling, Thematic analysis, Paraphilias, Sexual health |
| Geographic Terms: | Belgium |
| Abstract: | Recent debates on the (in)adequacy of school-based sex education highlight how current classroom courses are often too theoretically and biologically focused, failing to address the diverse needs of emerging adults. As a result, many young people turn to informal sources to gain knowledge about sexuality and relationships, such as entertainment media, podcasts, series or user-generated content. This study explores how emerging adults in Belgium engage with these informal sources to fill gaps left by formal education. Building on uses and gratifications theory, we conducted in-depth interviews with 42 Flemish emerging adults (18–22 years), revealing five core motivations for seeking sexual content in popular media: (1) informational gratification, (2) entertainment, (3) social gratification, (4) sexual curiosity, and (5) sexual empowerment. The findings emphasise the valuable role of popular culture as an informal yet influential source of knowledge, challenging traditional discourse on sex and sexuality. This study offers insights into how entertainment media can complement school-based curricula and suggests potential pathways for reforming sex education to better resonate with the needs and realities of today's youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Education Research Complete |
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| Abstract: | Recent debates on the (in)adequacy of school-based sex education highlight how current classroom courses are often too theoretically and biologically focused, failing to address the diverse needs of emerging adults. As a result, many young people turn to informal sources to gain knowledge about sexuality and relationships, such as entertainment media, podcasts, series or user-generated content. This study explores how emerging adults in Belgium engage with these informal sources to fill gaps left by formal education. Building on uses and gratifications theory, we conducted in-depth interviews with 42 Flemish emerging adults (18–22 years), revealing five core motivations for seeking sexual content in popular media: (1) informational gratification, (2) entertainment, (3) social gratification, (4) sexual curiosity, and (5) sexual empowerment. The findings emphasise the valuable role of popular culture as an informal yet influential source of knowledge, challenging traditional discourse on sex and sexuality. This study offers insights into how entertainment media can complement school-based curricula and suggests potential pathways for reforming sex education to better resonate with the needs and realities of today's youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 14681811 |
| DOI: | 10.1080/14681811.2025.2525285 |
