Growing up in a culture dominated by sexual images on television and the Internet has labeled college students the "Hookup Generation."

Laura Sessions Stepp, author of the book Unhooked and writer for The Washington Post, said research from 10 years ago showed that about 50 percent of the college-aged population were hooking up -- participating in acts ranging from oral sex to sexual intercourse -- every weekend. These statistics have been climbing ever since.

She said there are three main contributing factors as to why college students today are deemed the "Hookup Generation."

Stepp said the type of culture college-aged students were exposed to growing up was sexualized so much that now, many do not consciously notice the sexual images on television or the Internet.

The current form of feminism sends a message that women should not only have the same rights as men, but they should be able to behave sexually like males as well, she said. Stepp also said busy lifestyles of this generation's high school years have followed them to college.

She said girls in particular apply the fast pace of high school to their schoolwork in college and become self-motivated to succeed. This mindset creates the notion that girls don't have time for relationships, as they would rather commit their time and energy into something more concrete.

While the social definition of "hooking up" is different to many, it is happening on college campuses and can foster serious physical and psychological issues on those engaging in such sexual activity, said Benjamin Locke, assistant director of the Center for Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS).

Locke said alcohol is a contributing factor to a lot of hookups and often fosters feelings of regret for such actions.

"If girls are drinking in order to hookup, they should probably step back and ask themselves if hooking up is really something that they want to do. Also, if girls are feeling nervous hooking up, there may be good reason for that instinct," Stepp said.

She said if girls are angry that their partners are hooking up with other people, they should pay attention to what their hearts are telling them.

"I think a big issue is that people get too physical too fast," said Meghan Byrnes (freshman-political science). "The best part comes and goes in one night."

Both Stepp and Locke said the first step to slowing down is to find support within a group of friends. Often if a girl has concerns with hooking up, her friends feel the same way.

"If a guy wants to hook up, tell him that you'd like to go to dinner or a movie first. If enough people did that, men would have to resort to the old way of dating," Stepp said.

Though it is tricky, girls should decide whether they are craving intimacy, looking for a connection, or simply want sex, Stepp said.

"At Penn State, you have the option of never seeing the person you hooked up with ever again," said Sarah Burton (freshman-journalism). "It really depends on what you are looking for. Some people feel bad about random hookups because they were looking for intimacy, while others could really care less."