The stereotype of “cheesy,” outdated sex education videos with actors from the 1980s apparently has some truth. The Charlotte Observer reports that the Union County school district in North Carolina is modernizing its sex education program by investing in DVDs showing kids using current technologies such as iPods and the Internet, which may make it easier for them to relate to kids in the videos.

The materials teachers have used for years have copyright dates of 1989 and 1990, and kids often roll their eyes at the dated lessons, said Secondary Education Director Nancy Addison.

“One video had Kirk Cameron (from the 1980s sitcom “Growing Pains”), and the kids were like, `Who is he?’ ” Addison said.

The district spent more than $12,000 on new materials, which teachers can’t use until parents have had a chance to review them and the school board votes to approve them.

It’s interesting that even seemingly secondary issues, such as how teens are depicted in sex education programs, can influence their effectiveness and that this needs to be considered against today’s backdrop. Do you think this will help the curricula resonate better with today’s students or make some difference? It also raises the question of how often these DVDs need to be updated, considering today’s fast pace of technological changes.

Here are some truly vintage sex education videos for your viewing pleasure:

Your Body During Adolescence (1955):

ALSO: Watch Molly Grows Up (1953)