Are we just a bunch of sex-obsessed college kids who want to share every intimate detail of our sexual adventures?
Daniel Reimold, a professor at U. Tampa, investigated the development of sex columns in college newspapers in his book “Sex and the University.”
He found that sex columns in college newspapers became mainstream during the last decade and that writers often create a persona for their column that tells intimate stories about their personal lives, whether they actually experienced it or not. On some campuses, their juicy details and knowledge about sex makes them celebrities.
Of course many are interested in stories that are more gossip than actual opinion, which is why tabloids exist. But sex columns are more than just using dirty words.
They offer students information they can use, whether they are sexually active or not. A sex column that doesn’t give students something they will benefit from is wasted space in the newspaper.
But the popularity of sex columns may not reflect actual college culture. According to a study cited by Newsweek in 2008, students are less sexually active than a decade ago.
The real reason for their popularity may be students’ upbringing. Joseph Tartakovsky of The Wall Street Journal said that adolescent sexual interest is the reason.
This is in conflict with the study findings. The study also shows that in 2001, 31 percent of female freshman have never had sex. This number increased to almost 50 percent of all undergraduates in 2006.
An increased interest in sex topics does not mean an increased interest in sex.
However, the way we talk about personal issues has changed with the onset of social media. Many are used to giving details about their daily habits on their Facebook feed, posting pictures of last weekend’s keg party or showing off a new partner.
If we are used to knowing much about our (more or less) friends, we’re not surprised when someone we don’t really know talks about their last sex partner in the newspaper.
Reimold said many of the columnists he interviewed want to push boundaries or challenge the status quo. That may be rebellious in theory. There are not many boundaries left to push and the status quo has already changed since people started to share their relationship status with the world.
Whatever the reason for a sex column in a college newspaper, it gives information and humor students need. That’s the kind of sex column students deserve and the kind that you’ll find here.