I have just been reading the chapter on sex in Steve Biddulph's 'Raising Boys', and it got me wondering about this question.
I noticed the stark difference between the UK and a place I've visited in rural Uganda, where there is little to no advertising, let alone magazines, TV, etc etc. I also felt that the people I encountered there had a purity about them, which was incredibly beautiful. In the UK I have only ever seen this in young children - it felt very much like we have lost something, rather than that they are missing out on something we have.
When I came back to London from a two-week jaunt in Uganda I was overwhelmed by how heavily all things sexual are promoted here. It was like being hit in the face time and time again, and then of course I became desensitised to it. But reading Biddulph's book has raised the issue again. I would love to have a thoughtful conversation here about these questions (and more - please do add more questions!):
- Is our society oversexualised?
- How does it really, truly benefit us to promote sexuality (a) in the way that we do; (b) as heavily as we do?
- How does it disbenefit (for want of a better word) us - referring to (a) and (b) as above?
- Is there a better alternative?