AFCOST Symposium 2018

From Internet pornography to MTV, pop culture bombards us with sexualized images of idealized women and men, and convey powerful messages that help shape sexuality. These images jump off the screen and into the lives of young people, and are now so common place that studies show that they seep into their gender identity, body image and especially intimate relationships. The result is not a more liberated, edgy sexuality, but a mass-produced vision of sex that is profoundly sexist – a vision that limits the ability for young people to create adult authentic, equal relationships that are free of violence and degradation. In this multi-media presentation, Dr. Dines use examples from pornography, magazines, hip-hop, television shows, and movies to explore how masculinity and femininity are shaped by a consumer-driven image-based culture, and the ways public images spill over into our most private worlds. Of specific interest will be the ways that pornography hijacks the healthy social/sexual/emotional/cognitive development of young people.