Date of Award
5-10-2026
Date Published
June 2026
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Media Studies
Advisor(s)
Rebecca Ortiz
Keywords
media representation;sexual script theory;teen television;virginity scripts;youth sexuality
Subject Categories
Communication | Social and Behavioral Sciences
Abstract
Over the past three decades, youth sexual activity has steadily declined, with members of Generation Z (those born between 1997 to 2012) reporting lower rates of sexual activity than previous generations, and in many cases, delaying their first sexual experiences. This shift raises the question of whether contemporary teen television reflects these changes in sexual behavior. This thesis examines ten popular teen dramedies that aired between 2019 and 2025 on streaming video services to see whether new scripts surrounding virginity emerge or if traditional narratives persist. Using qualitative textual analysis guided by sexual script theory and relational dialectics theory, the findings suggest that traditional virginity scripts remain present but with modifications. Loss of virginity was depicted as a journey rather than a singular event, emphasizing sexual readiness, communication, and emotional complexity. Female sexual desire was more openly expressed and male characters showed greater vulnerability around their discomfort with sex. Overall, contemporary teen television shows both reflect and resist cultural shifts, revealing more nuanced portrayals of sexuality than in previous decades but while also maintaining virginity loss as a key coming-of-age milestone. This study offers insights into how popular media constructs and communicates meanings of virginity in a changing cultural landscape.
Access
Open Access
Recommended Citation
Condemi, Sophia Elizabeth, "Rewriting the script: Representations of virginity in teen dramedies (2019-2025)" (2026). Theses - ALL. 1026.
https://surface.syr.edu/thesis/1026
