The USA's Obsession with Exhibitionism: Over Sexualizing All Forms of Media

It is no secret that there is something seriously wrong with Hollywood and the entertainment industry in general. This is blatantly shown in movies of all types, with innuendos hidden in children's movies, which is wildly inappropriate. Movies are centered around sex, substance abuse, and violence.

There are sex scenes in so many movies, that it almost seems like it's a requirement. Sex scenes in superhero movies seem quite inappropriate, as many of the viewers are young children. Forcing sexual ideas on young viewers is a form of grooming and it is very intentional.

For example, my youngest daughter is a huge Katseye fan. She loves to copy the dances that they do and loves the songs they put out. One of the things I noticed first about this group is how scantily clad many of the members are and how sexual the dances are. This encourages young people to want to be scantily clad as well.

It isn't just about censoring your children. These performers are everywhere. Girl groups and boy groups are attractive to tweens and young teens. It is tiresome to hear all the songs on the radio talking about sexual situations.

I was at the movies with my son today. All of the previews for the Star Wars movie we were watching followed the same formula. The same action movies with the same action stars. The same dystopian themes with the hottest names of the day. A fifth sequel for a tired animated film franchise.

When you see stars at award shows, prime time television, you see stars half naked on the red carpet. What message does this send to the youth that consume this programming?

These entertainers inappropriately commandeer the phrase "her body, her choice" to claim freedom to show as much skin as they'd like to, but that isn't really fair to the women who are protecting their rights to autonomy. They want to say that they're trying to de-sexualize the female body, yet they dress in sexy clothing, highlighting the very features that attract the opposite sex.

I caught my youngest daughter with a public profile on her Snapchat, which I made her delete immediately. She had amassed over 5000 subscribers, mostly adults. Many men commented about her being gorgeous or sexy. She's 9. It is clear that it is unsafe for women to dress as they please at this stage of the game.

My oldest daughter, who is 19, has always dressed modestly. She has a keen eye for fashion, but she never reveals too much. She always looks beautiful when she goes out, but has no problem going out in jeans and a t-shirt too. I've always encouraged her to be body positive, so she is secure in her size and shape.

In recent months, I watched several Korean dramas. These are limited series shows where the subject matter is largely wholesome and centered around work or life. There's usually some sort of romance, but it never moves too quickly.

I enjoyed watching these shows because it was refreshing to me to see women fully clothed, but fashionable. It was reassuring to see the romantic couples take time to get to know one another, saving intimacy for moments of tenderness deep into the relationship. Sex scenes are mostly just entering the bedroom, maybe a shirtless male, but beyond that, it is left to the imagination.

My mother always taught me "less is more". This means, the less skin you show, the more you leave to the imagination. If we are to be attracted to the gender of our choosing, then we should be attracted because of similar traits or interests. And intellectual attraction can stand the test of time, while a relationship based on physical attraction and sex alone can fade or be prone to affairs as each person ages.

There are definitely tasteful ways to dress for hot weather or to show a little skin. However, there is no need to display one's body until nothing is left to discover. Clothing designs of the past could actually keep a person cooler by blocking the sun or catching the breeze under a light fabric.

It is also unfair to women with heavier body types. They can wear revealing clothing, but they are more prone to bullying than someone who is naturally thin or works out. Why should only thin or fit women be allowed to wear certain fashions?

To turn this around, it is also tiresome to see men walking around in revealing clothing or being constantly shirtless. Why is it okay for a man to display his naked torso, but the double standard is that a woman is indecent for showing her naked torso? While I believe that men from the USA are not mature enough to de-sexualize a woman's body at this stage of the game, I see the irony of this situation.

As I have gotten older, I've learned that there is so much more to romance than sex. Sex is just one part of a healthy relationship. A man or woman addicted to sex has an imbalance in their personality, many times paired with a history of unhealed sexual trauma. If we want marriages and relationships to be long lasting, there must be partnership and friendship in the match.

In the USA, we have become so unnatural. Women wear full makeup to "feel beautiful". However, with all of the incredibly skilled women who contour and create these beautiful looks forget that their natural features without enhancement are beautiful too. Add to this that many makeup and skincare brands contain harmful ingredients that promote skin diseases and cancer. Doesn't it make more sense to be more natural?

It is unhealthy to jump into bed with any man or woman one has just met. It promotes unwanted pregnancy, sexually transmitted disease, and feelings of shame and insecurity when the relationship doesn't last. Meaningless sex is just that: Meaningless.

If we are to make a new world that is safe for children and all people, then we must move away from the sexualization of the human body. Sex is meant to be an intimate expression of love between two people. Promiscuity introduces too much risk. Can we not learn to control ourselves at a young age? Can we not see that sexualizing the young adults and making them targets to men old enough to be their fathers is harmful? Why do we accept this?

We consume so much media, we are brainwashed to think that these things are all normal. There are so many broken systems in the USA. We must begin to unravel them and eventually put them to rest. It is time to embrace our natural selves and heal what is broken. Only then can we evolve.