The following post is a part of a 4 Post series I am doing for one of my classes in university. The title of the class is “Sociology of Sexuality” and naturally the content of the blogs must discuss topics under the umbrella of that title. Therefore, the content will be slightly different to anything I’ve ever blogged about (Not that I really ever blog, so it’s hard to pinpoint whether or not I have a style or common topic). Regardless, if you’re wondering why I’m writing about this, that is why and, of course, I do believe they’re important discussions to bring up.
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| "When adults say, "Teenagers think they are invincible" with that sly, stupid smile on their faces, they don't know how right they are. We need never be hopeless, because we can never be irreparably broken. We think that we are invincible because we are. We cannot be born, and we cannot die. Like all energy, we can only change shapes and sizes and manifestations. They forget that when they get old. They get scared of losing and failing. But that part of us greater than the sum of our parts cannot begin and cannot end, and so it cannot fail." - John Green, Looking for Alaska |
hello there,
I would like to work off the premise that we all agree we live in an era of technology and that quite possibly the most predominant form of technology we encounter is that of the Internet. The Internet is a remarkable tool, it connects us globally and allows us access to information (be it accurate or not) that we may otherwise not have access to. The Internet changes the way we communicate and whether or not it's for the better is still greatly debated. What I'm currently concerned about however, is what the Internet means for the current generation of teenagers and how they conceptualize sex.
I was first drawn to this topic when I was doing the research for my last week's blog and noticed a horrendous amount, of what I considered to be, extremely inappropriate advances towards male public figures coming from relatively young girls or teenagers. The reason I've titled this post "Dear Parents of the Internet Kid Generation" is because (a) I spend too much time procrastinating on the Internet when I should be studying which leads me to (b) seeing things online that many parents (or people in general) don't see but need to be aware of. Some of the examples I'll use in this post are extremely vulgar but I think it's important to identify them in order to grasp the power of the Internet. If I was the mother of these teenagers I would be deeply troubled and would want to be completely aware of the situation. Not even that, it's important to understand the type of discourse that teenagers are exposed to on the online world.
For the purpose of this post I've decided to use Twitter as my platform for examples (Yes there's cases similar to these on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, etc, but it could take me ages to scour all the web, and that's just time I don't have). Like I said, the examples I have picked out are vulgar, but they help me make my case.
The internet provides a mask of anonymity that encourages sexual freedom. Now I realize that it's everyone's choice to explore their sexuality but what does it look like when teenagers use the Internet for sexual discourse?
I realize that a lot of these comments are possibly typed with an air of sarcasm but nonetheless it raises concerns. I think what stands out to me so much is that we still live in a society where talking about sex and adolescents is still a very taboo subject and yet the very people we don't think are ready to discuss sex are asking for it online. The internet also provides youth with a platform to express their sexuality without the consequences that would most likely follow them should they express themselves in such way in person. Let's be real, if they're typing it, they're thinking about it.
What the Internet doesn't provide them with is a platform to discuss healthy conversations around sex and sexuality, at least not from what I've seen. So why are Internet Kids turning to the internet for sex talk? It has a lot to do with the taboo ideas that I mentioned previously. We live in a culture where the term "sex sells" is an extremely advocated slogan. We are surrounded by sex everywhere we look and so are our youth. Let's not kid ourselves into thinking they don't see it.
There's all kinds of topics around sex that teenagers are missing out on by not having access to an environment that facilitates healthy discourse. For instance, what about gender oppression or self worth? Do we want to live in a world where young girls think that they need to give up their bodies for attention? I sure don't... And don't even get me started on the anatomical inaccuracies expressed in some of these advances. Do some adolescents even really understand sex and what it is? Or is sex simply viewed as something you do for attention? Sign these kids up for a biology lesson, please.
What do the experts have to say about this?
The research of one study found that “exposure to sexual media is one of several factors that promote risky sexual behaviour” and that “exposure to sexual content in media is associated with early sexual initiation or progression of sexual activity” (Bleakley et al, 2011, p. 309). The information teens have access to on the Internet influences the ideas and understanding they have regarding sex and how they conceptualize it (Ševčíková et al., 2013, p. 618). Youth exposed to sexually explicit Internet material often show signs of sexual uncertainty, sexual dissatisfaction, less progressive gender role attitudes and early sexual behavior (Peter & Valkenburg, 2010, p. 376). This exposure “affects instrumental attitudes toward sex” and there is a link between this exposure and casual sex (Peter & Valkenburg, 2010, p. 376).
Parents, guardians, and role models, "Internet Kids" have the entire world at their fingertips so it's important to decide whether or not we want their discussion of sex to occur online or in a safe and healthy environment with supporting, loving, trustworthy and educated individuals. It's important to remove the negative stigma attached to teen sexuality and develop healthy conversation with teenagers. Whatever stance you may personally hold in regards to teens and sex, don't let that inhibit you from having open and honest conversations with your teenagers. They may say ignorance is bliss, but I really don't think that's the case with teens and sex.
To the Internet Kids, I hope you never feel like the way to get someones attention is to offer up your body for sexual acts. And if you do, know that the type of people that like you for what your body offers them, are not the type of people that deserve a part of you. As a youth worker I want to personally apology on behalf of all adults if we ever made you feel like the Internet was a safer place to talk about sex than face to face discussion.
-m.o
Bleakley, A., Hennessy, M., & Fishbein, M. (2011). A
Model of Adolescents' Seeking of Sexual Content in Their Media Choices. Journal
Of Sex Research, 48(4), 309-315. doi:10.1080/00224499.2010.497985
Peter, J., & Valkenburg, P. M.
(2010). Processes Underlying the Effects of Adolescents' Use of Sexually
Explicit Internet Material: The Role of Perceived Realism. Communication
Research, 37(3), 375-399. doi:10.1177/0093650210362464
Ševčíková, A., Vazsonyi, A. T.,
Širůček, J., & Konečný, Š. (2013). Predictors of Online and Offline Sexual
Activities and Behaviors Among Adolescents. Cyberpsychology, Behavior &
Social Networking, 16(8), 618-622. doi:10.1089/cyber.2012.0552