A Group Of College Students Started A TikTok Channel To Teach "Sex Ed For Guys" And It's Working
The school project has now gone viral.
When I took sex ed classes in middle school and high school, we learned the basics like anatomy, contraception, and the reproductive system. Looking back, there was so much left out. My parents weren’t exactly open and comfortable with talking about sex, so I was kind of left to my own devices when it came to things like consent, sexual coercion, boundaries, and so many other pieces of the sex puzzle. Because of that, I definitely had some moments in my life that I wish I could take back or change.
Sex education in schools is still such a touchy subject, with some schools opting out of teaching kids about sex at all. Both young men and women need to be educated in these areas so that when they decide to have sex, they have all the right tools and knowledge to lead healthy sex, safe lives.
One group of college students is trying to help with this with their school project, which has now turned into a viral sensation. The group of students, attending Colby College in Maine, started the TikTok channel, Sex Ed For Guys, to cater to mostly young men, talking about all things sex and relationships in a way that’s light-hearted and funny.
The channel started as part of a study researching privilege at elite all-boys schools. The study, authored by Colby professor and the Education Department Chair, Adam Howard, delves into how elite all-boys schools falter in several areas, especially sex education.
According to Professor Howard’s website, “For over two decades, Howard has researched elite schools around the world, peeling back the layers of how privilege works through their daily practices, relations, structures, and policies. Employing a collaborative approach in most of his major studies, he teams up with privileged young people to make insider’s knowledge of how privilege works within elite schools more evident.”
“One of the findings of the research project is that the sex ed curricula at these elite all-boys schools were very underdeveloped. Our goal is to educate and entertain on the platform of TikTok in regards to positive masculinity and sex ed,” one of the students explains in a summary video.
As to why the students decided to take their humor-approach, one student replied, “Because sex ed doesn't have to be scary. It's easier to learn when you're having fun.”
Several videos on the TikTok channel have gone viral, including male students showing how to do a “Respecting Women Workout” and playing the game, “That’s What’s Up!/ What’s Up With That?”
“Setting boundaries with your partner. That's what's up! Backflips. That's what's up! Using racial and homophobic slurs. What's up with that? 2013 Florida Gulf Coast March of Madness run. That's what's up. Kidney stones. What's up with that? Night vision goggles. That's what's up. Asking your partner about their day. That's what's up,” the boys say into the camera. So, so brilliant.
After their video went viral, with almost 3 million views, several people commented on the post, praising the students for their unique approach.
“this is unironically how we defeat the alt right pipeline,” one user wrote.
“big fan of whatever this is,” another joked.
Another said, “Using very few words for target audience engagement!”
“i feel like this is like the parenting technique of how to sneak vegetables into your kids’ food,” another said.
Hey, whatever works!
