Adolescents’ sexual media use and willingness to engage in casual sex: Differential relations and underlying processes (2017)

  • van Oosten, J.M.F. ×
  • Peter, Jochen
  • Vandenbosch, Laura #

LINK TO PAPER

2017

Publisher: International Communication Association

Series Title: Human Communication Research

ABSTRACT

The present study investigated the relationship between different types of sexual media use (i.e., sexually explicit internet material, sexually oriented reality TV and sexy self-presentations on social network sites) and adolescents’ willingness to engage in casual sex, as well as underlying social-cognitive processes of this relationship. Drawing on a longitudinal three-wave panel study among 1,467 adolescents (aged 13-17, 50% female), we found that exposure to sexually explicit internet material directly predicted adolescents’ willingness to engage in casual sex. Exposure to sexy self-presentations of others on social network sites and sexually oriented reality TV predicted adolescents’ willingness to engage in casual sex indirectly through descriptive peer norms on casual sex.