Identity, relationships, sexuality, and risky behaviors of adolescents in the context of social media

ABSTRACT

The use of social networking services (SNSs) has been reported as one of the favorite activities for adolescents. Over the past decade, SNSs have become some of the most important venues for connecting, communicating, and socializing, as well as identity-building and self-expression. Adolescence is the phase during which individuals construct a critical part in the process of constructing their sexual identity and gender. In the literature, it is suggested that SNSs have become venues for young people to construct and express themselves, and this can produce positive and negative effects. SNSs offer several opportunities for adolescents to explore their sexuality, and cybersex is often the first activity through which teenagers can explore their sexuality freely and without biases. SNS use inevitably affects and is related to adolescents’ sexuality and relationships with peers, sometimes with increasing inclination to risk-taking attitudes and related behaviors. Therefore, our aim of this paper was to explore and address the way in which social media and SNSs are affecting and changing not only adolescent sexuality, but also the type of relationship adolescents establish in their first sexual experiences, including possible risky consequences like cyberbullying, sexting, revenge pornography, excessive use of the Internet, and risky sexual behaviors. Specifically, research will be discussed on the development and evolution of sexuality of adolescents and young adults, also illustrating the clinical consequences.

KEYWORDS:

• Adolescent relationship
• adolescent sexuality
• social media
• social networks
• risk behavior

Acknowledgments

The authors and editors would like to extend their appreciation to Ryan B. Peterson for his additional technical edits to this paper prior to publication.

Disclosure statement

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

Notes

1. It is important to note that there is a movement in the fields of family and sex therapy to frame some forms of addiction as “out of control behaviors” (for more details, see Braun-Harvey & Vigorito, 2015).

2. A form of severe social withdrawal frequently described in Japan, and characterized by adolescents and young adults who become recluses in their parents’ homes, unable to work or go to school for months or years (for more details, see Teo & Gaw, 2010).

3. Selfies are like self-portraits, but without a lag in sharing, and instead with immediacy in sharing via being posted online or sent via text message.

4. Sexting can be defined as the practice of sending and receiving explicit text and/or photos via cellphone.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Stefano Eleuteri

Stefano Eleuteri, PsyD, is a research fellow at the Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.

Valeria Saladino

Valeria Saladino, PsyD, is a graduate student at the Department of Humanities, Social, and Health, University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, Cassino, Italy.

Valeria Verrastro

Valeria Verrastro, PsyD, is a researcher at the Department of Humanities, Social, and Health, University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, Cassino, Italy.