3-233 - Digital Communication about Sex as a Risk Factor for Early Sexual Activity and Emerging Psychopathology

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

Adolescents and young adults are fervently engaged in text messaging and social media, perhaps because it is their most available means to connect with peers; “Teens are not addicted to social media, they are addicted to each other” (boyd, 2014, p. 80). New media (e.g., the Internet, Social Networking sites, text messaging) are attractive to adolescents as a source of sexual information and exploration because they are widely available, are always on, and are viewed as being safe (Brown, Keller, & Stern, 2009; Subrahmanyam, Greenfield, & Tynes, 2004). Because text messaging is mainly done in the absence of parental monitoring and without parental restriction, text messaging is the ideal platform for discussing sexual topics (Devitt & Roker, 2009). Sexting is defined as the practice of sending sexually explicit or suggestive images, videos, or text messages via digital communication (Cox Communications, 2009). These investigations examine how adolescents and young adults present themselves in a sexualized manner on Facebook and via text messaging, and what this means for their relationships and adjustment. Scholars from the fields of developmental psychology, clinical psychology, and medicine used multiple methods (questionnaires and observations of digital content) to show that for adolescents, sexting relates to early sexual activity and the emergence of borderline personality features, and for young adults, to avoidant attachment and antisocial personality traits. Each presentation will highlight how the findings suggest specific strategies for prevention and education programs to mitigate the potential negative consequences of engaging in sexualized digital communication.

Sub Unit

• Social Relationships

Chair

• Marion K. Underwood, University of Texas at Dallas

Individual Presentations

• Posting a Sexy Profile Pic on Facebook: Adolescent Girls’ and Young Women’s Attitudes about Acceptable Facebook Profile Photos - Presenting Author: Elizabeth Daniels, University of Colorado Colorado Springs; Eileen L. Zurbriggen, University of California at Santa Cruz

• The pattern and the Stability of sexting: Latent transition analysis - Presenting Author: Jeff R. Temple, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston; HyeJeong Choi, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston; Vi D Le, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston

• Sexting, Sexual Behavior, and Borderline Personality Features in Late Adolescence - Presenting Author: Dawn Yvette Brinkley, University of Texas at Dallas; Robert A. Ackerman, University of Texas at Dallas; Samuel E. Ehrenreich, University of Texas at Dallas; Marion K. Underwood, University of Texas at Dallas

• Sexting coercion and unwanted but consensual sexting among college-aged young adults - Presenting Author: Michelle Drouin, Indiana University - Purdue University, Fort Wayne; Jody Ross, Indiana University - Purdue University, Fort Wayne