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Sexual intensity of adolescents' online self-presentations: Joint contribution of identity, media consumption, and extraversion

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Highlights

  • Study asks teens to present themselves online in non-explicit sexual ways.

  • Sexual intensity of self-presentation is predicted by the sexual self-concept.

  • Sexual media diet mediates link between self-concept and presentation intensity.

  • Extraversion moderates effects of self-concept and sexual media on presentation.

  • Future research should treat sexual self-presentation (sexting) as a media effect.

Abstract

Adolescents produce and distribute a vast quantity of digital media content. A growing literature examines the sexually explicit (i.e., nude) content that adolescents share online. Because adolescents' sexual content need not be sexually explicit, however, this study examined the sexual intensity with which adolescents choose to present themselves in the context of a social media platform. Exemplifying the variability of adolescents' online sexual self-presentations, survey participants (N = 265; age range: 13–15 years) constructed social media profiles using components (e.g., photos, fashion brands) that varied in sexual intensity. In accord with predictions drawn from the Media Practice Model, the study found that the sexual intensity of adolescents' online self-presentations is a product of the sexual self-concept, a relationship that is partially mediated by sexual media diet and moderated by extraversion. This study bridges emerging research on sexual self-presentation with established literature on adolescents' sexual media uses and effects.

Introduction

Adolescents in the United States produce and distribute a vast quantity of digital media content (Madden, Lenhart, Cortesi, & Gasser, 2013). Researchers working at the intersection of media use and adolescent sexual development are increasingly interested in examining the sexual media that adolescents produce and distribute, and the implications of these behaviors for their sexual health and identity formation. “Sexting” (i.e., sending sexually explicit photos or messages via an electronic device) has received the most research attention among the sexual media production practices in which adolescents engage (e.g., Baumgartner, Sumter, Peter, Valkenburg, & Livingstone, 2014; Dake et al., 2012, Klettke et al., 2014, Mitchell et al., 2012, Temple and Choi, 2014, Temple et al., 2012). Adolescents can produce and distribute sexual text, photo, video and audio content via many social media platforms (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat). Some studies have focused specifically on young people's sexual disclosures in these channels (e.g., Bobkowski et al., 2012, Ringrose, 2011).

The present study advances two conceptual components within the literature on adolescents' sexual media production and distribution. Much of the prior work in this domain assessed behaviors related to sexually explicit, that is, “nude or nearly nude” (Mitchell et al., 2012, p. 15) digital images or videos. Young people, however, also can present themselves online sexually without being sexually explicit (Smahel & Subrahmanyam, 2014). They can communicate a level of sexual suggestiveness through physical poses, facial expressions, and clothing in their online photos, for instance, or through the music or brands they endorse (i.e., “Like”) on social media.

This study therefore first widens the analytic lens by examining the sexual intensity with which adolescents present themselves in digital spaces, including subtle and suggestive sexual content. Second, the study conceptualizes and tests how these online sexual self-presentations are shaped by the adolescents' own sexual identities, the sexual media they report consuming, and their personality. Prior studies have identified several discrete correlates of adolescents' digital sexual self-presentations including demographics, personality traits, and overall media use (Baumgartner et al., 2014, Mitchell et al., 2012). This study advances this literature by using a theoretical framework informed by the Media Practice Model (MPM) (Shafer et al., 2013, Steele and Brown, 1995) to integrate components of both identity, sexual media consumption, and personality as mutual contributors to adolescents' sexual self-presentations.

Data from an online questionnaire completed by 265 13- to 15-year-olds were used to test the study's theoretical framework with a moderated mediation model (Hayes, 2013). Exemplifying the variability of adolescents' online sexual self-presentations, participants selected elements that varied in sexual intensity to represent themselves in a fictitious social media platform. This study contributes to the growing literature and theory on adolescents' sexual self-presentation by bridging this emerging research domain to the established literature on adolescents' sexual media uses and effects (e.g., Wright, 2011). There are also practical advantages of the more comprehensive understanding of the relationships between identity, sexual media consumption, personality, and sexual self-presentation in digital spaces that this study advances. Most teens growing up today will make decisions about how to present themselves in social media. For instance, 91% of teens who use social media post photos of themselves, and 84% post about their media interests (Madden et al., 2013). A more thorough understanding of the factors involved in the sexual nature of adolescents' social media self-presentations can inform related policies and educational initiatives on such topics as online privacy, online safety, and sexual health.

Section snippets

Adolescents' sexual media distribution and identity

The vast majority of adolescents in the United States have regular access to the Internet, and most own at least one personal mobile device, such as a smartphone and/or a tablet (Madden, Lenhart, Duggan, Cortesti, & Gasser, 2013). Most adolescents are active on at least one social media platform (e.g., Facebook, Instagram), and many are active on multiple platforms (Madden et al., 2013, Madden, 2013). Using their mobile devices and social media platforms, adolescents share with their social

Demographics

The proposed conceptual model was tested with data from an online questionnaire that was delivered via Qualtrics, an online survey service. The respondent panel consisted of 265 participants. Slightly more adolescent females participated (55.09%) than males. Almost half were 14 years old (45.28%; 33.21% were 13 years old; 21.51% were 15 years old), and majority identified as “white or Caucasian” (69.43%; 15.47% as “black or African American;” 10.19% as “Latino(a) or Hispanic;” 3.77% as “Asian,

Results

The proposed mediated moderation model (Fig. 2) was tested by estimating its constituent path models, as recommended by Hayes (2013). See Table 2 for all corresponding coefficients. Hypotheses proposing direct and mediated relationships are discussed first, followed by the hypotheses on the proposed moderators.

Discussion

Armed with their smart phones, tablets, and laptops, today's adolescents create and distribute a vast quantity of digital media content, some of which may be sexual. While much of the previous research in this area has focused on sexually explicit text and photos (e.g., Mitchell et al., 2012, Temple and Choi, 2014), this study examined adolescents' sexual self-presentations more broadly. Because young people can self-present sexually without showing nudity or near-nudity, we asked adolescent

Conclusion

Drawing on the precepts of the Media Practice Model, this study showed that the sexual intensity with which adolescents (13–15 years old) present themselves online depends on a combination of the adolescents' sexual self-concepts, sexual media diets, and extraversion. The study positioned sexual self-disclosure in digital spaces (e.g., sexting) as a form of a media effect, in line with other effects of consuming sexual media (Brown et al., 2006, Chandra et al., 2008, Martino et al., 2005). As

Acknowledgment

Funding for participant incentives provided by the College of Media and Communication at Texas Tech University Faculty Start-up Account via Autumn Shafer.

Images in this study were used for fair use purposes in accordance with U.S. Copyright Law (i.e., Chapter 1 of Title 17 of the U.S. Code), such that the reproduction of any copyrighted works was for nonprofit educational purposes only and not commercial in nature.

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