There’s been no shortage of controversy about sex ed over the last few decades, and the introduction of the web – along with its many very adult outlets – has certainly contributed to the need for such a conversation. But the web has also taken on another role: that of teacher. Recent studies indicate that most teens turn to search engines (and most popularly Google) as their primary choice to find out information about sex and sex-related topics.
This information comes from a focus group study known as “TECHsexUSA” done by ISIS. The study looked at teens from the ages of 13 to 19, and asked questions related to finding sex-related information. Responses to questions about how sexual health issues and sexual questions were addressed included, “First thing, I Google” and, “I don’t use technology. I just Google.” Common questions typed into the search engines included how to avoid pregnancy, how to avoid STIs and STDs, how to get rid of hickeys, how to find free condoms, and how to behave appropriately with sex.
Different age groups and genders seemed to have different focuses. Women were three times more likely than men to be interested in issues of birth control and 33% more likely to be concerned with STIs. Men, especially in the younger group, were more concerned with the technical details of sex and understanding certain sexual behaviors such as oral sex. The full study and its findings can be viewed online here.
The real question is how much parents want Google to be the resource for their children. If an uncontrollable teacher was of issue, how much more is organic SERP ranking going to cause a stir? But the solution isn’t as simple as telling Google not to provide information. It can generally be agreed that having information available is better than having no information at all. While there may be various approaches to making the most out of technology in the world of sex ed, the ISIS study has its own simple conclusion: “Make better use of search engine optimization (SEO) to improve search ranking and the promotion of sexual and reproductive health sites.”
[via The Huffington Post]
Check out the SEO Tools guide at Search Engine Journal.
Google: Your Teen’s New Sex Ed Teacher
