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Exposure to Sexuality in the Media and Emotional Well-Being among Lesbian , Gay , and Bisexual Adolescents

Introduction Sexual socialization is a hallmark of adolescent development. Yet, the absence of sexual information from socialization agents such as parents, health care providers, and educators leaves media to educate American teen audiences about sexual norms (Brown, Steele, & Walsh-Childers, 2002). However, most published studies examining the relationship between media and sexuality have assumed a heterosexual norm among teens, focusing exclusively on mainstream media outlets that present primarily heteronormative images to adolescents. Examining the relationship between media exposure and the development of alternative sexualities is largely uncharted territory. The absence of media effects research on lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) adolescents is a significant oversight. LGB teens experience many of the same obstacles to development as heterosexual teens, but their concerns can be intensified by feelings, desires, and physical attractions that run contrary to the dominant messages and norms of a heterosexual society. Many also experience additional stressors due to victimization related to sexual orientation, fear of coming out, and high-risk sexual behaviors (Anhalt & Morris, 1998). In fact, suicide is the number one cause of death among LGB teens (APA, 2001). It is important to understand the factors influencing the emotional well-being of LGB youth given the social hindrances LGB adolescents face in developing sexual identities. One social-environmental factor that could significantly influence the development of LGB sexual identities is media exposure. Little research, however, has examined the possible link between media exposure and the emotional well-being of LGB adolescents. This paper is an abridged version of a dissertation prospectus. The primary goal of the study proposed in this paper is to utilize an online survey to 3 investigate the associations between exposure to sexuality in the media, sexual identity, and emotional well-being among LGB adolescents. A secondary objective of the study outlined here is to use content analytic methods to quantify the portrayal of sexuality in the media that LGB adolescents report consuming most often as a means of better understanding sexuality in the media landscape. This paper is being proposed for inclusion in the NCA doctoral seminar on the basis that it addresses an important avenue of research not yet investigated by communication scholars: media effects on sexual minority youth. In addition, the paper utilizes a social psychology theory (i.e., self-discrepancy theory) to explore the influence of media exposure on identity development in novel ways. Online surveys are also explored as contemporary methods for gathering data from …