Moms Talk: Sex in Teen Literature

A few years ago a reporter buddy of mine wrote a big story for a Dallas newspaper about sex in teen novels after he flipped through his teenage sister's Gossip Girl novel one day and found himself startled by the book's sensational portrayals of teenage sexuality.

I grew up in the '80s and '90s, and "teen literature" was non-existent or, at most, a very small community of authors compared to the booming literary subgenre it is today.

So, to be faced with frank or implied descriptions of teenage sexuality in a novel published and marketed to teens was pretty surprising to me, and that was back in 2005. Now, it seems, this is the norm in teen fiction.

A story in ParentDish claims that a new study has found that two-thirds of teen novels today include content that uses sexual innuendo or flat-out describes intercourse.

From the story:

Some librarians, however, say sexual references in books simply are a sign of the times, School Library Journal reports.

"Society's expectation, combined with publishing trends, are driving the types of books being published," Megan Fink, a librarian at Charlotte Country Day School in Charlotte, N.C., tells the site. "The publishing trends are pushing a lot of authors to write books for readers who liked 'Twilight' and 'The Hunger Games.' "

So, what do you guys think? Does this represent a collapse in values or is it a more honest portrayal of teen life? What would you say to your teen if you discovered he or she was reading literature like this? Comment below.