Technology-mediated sexual interaction and relationships: a systematic review of the literature

ABSTRACT

In the previous decade, researchers have increased their attention to people's engagement in technology-mediated sexual interaction (TMSI) – the exchange of sexual material via computer and Internet technologies. Inconsistent terminology and measurement across studies, however, has hindered the development of a cohesive knowledge base to inform sexual and relationship clinicians and educators. In this paper, we provide a critical review of the current state of the research on TMSI to identify gaps, clarify terminology, and synthesize current findings in the research. To do this, we conducted a systematic search of empirical literature focused on sexting, cybersex, and phone sex (terms that are consistent with TMSI). To meet inclusion criteria, authors of the studies were required to report on the prevalence of sexting, cybersex, and phone sex in adolescent and/or adult populations. Our findings indicate that TMSI is more prevalent among adults relative to adolescents. We also found that a majority of the studies focused on problematic use of TMSI (e.g. “cybersex addiction”); with comparatively less research examining normative TMSI. Our findings also indicate that many of the studies we systematically reviewed did not specify or differentiate between relationship types in their analyses. We conclude by discussing trends in the results and gaps in the literature that are pertinent to sexual and relationship researchers and clinicians.

KEYWORDS:

• Sexting
• cybersex
• online sexual activities
• digital technology
• Internet
• relationships
• sexuality

Disclosure statement

The author(s) declare no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Notes

1. In the previous two reviews (Döring, 2014; Klettke et al., 2014) adults were defined as people over 18 years of age, and adolescents were defined as people between the ages of 9 and 18 years of age.

2. Gender differences described in the results refer only to ‘women and men’ because the authors of the studies included in the present systematic review did not specify whether their participants were cisgender-, or transgender-identified, or some combination.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Erin Leigh Courtice

Erin Leigh Courtice (BSc) is an associate professor in School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.

Krystelle Shaughnessy

Krystelle Shaughnessy is an associate professor in School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.