Psychology Today | 17.07.2026 23:11
With the rise of shows like Bridgerton, Heated Rivalry, and Off Campus, conversations about "smutty TV" have moved into the mainstream. But these shows may be doing more than entertaining us. Research suggests that media helps shape beliefs and expectations about sex and relationships. In a 2003 empirical research review by social psychologist L. Monique Ward, one finding was that media serve as powerful sources of information about sexuality, particularly when they repeatedly portray certain ideas about attraction, romance, and intimacy.
