The term "adolescence" refers to the stage of life between childhood and adulthood. During this time, individuals undergo physical, emotional, and cognitive changes that can affect their behavior, attitudes, beliefs, and values. Adolescents are also exploring their sexuality and developing their identities, which is influenced by various factors such as family, peers, media, and culture. Social media has become an integral part of modern society, and trending videos on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram have gained popularity among adolescents. These videos often portray sexual content and may contribute to the adolescent's sexual socialization process, identity development, and sexual norm internalization.
Social media videos can impact adolescents' perceptions of gender roles and expectations, body image, sexual practices, relationships, and sexual consent. Gendered stereotypes can be reinforced or challenged through videos that depict masculine and feminine behaviors, clothing styles, and sexual desires. Body image issues can arise from viewing unrealistic standards of beauty promoted in many videos. Sexual practices can be normalized, encouraged, or discouraged based on what is shown in these videos. Dating, intimacy, and relationship dynamics can be modeled, but they might not reflect real-life experiences. Consent can be communicated implicitly or explicitly, depending on the video's message. The effects of viewing sexual content on adolescents vary and may depend on individual differences in personality, experience, and context.
The influence of social media videos on sexual socialization, identity development, and sexual norm internalization should be considered when designing policies and regulations for online platforms. Educators should incorporate discussions about these topics into their curriculum, and parents must guide their children's media use by monitoring their exposure to sexually explicit content. Parents should also address any concerns their teens express regarding sexual matters. Adolescents should be taught critical thinking skills to analyze videos' messages and avoid harmful messages and misinformation.
Trending social media videos contribute to adolescent sexual socialization, identity development, and sexual norm internalization. These influences can be positive or negative, and it is crucial to support young people in understanding and navigating this complex landscape.
In what ways do trending social media videos contribute to adolescent sexual socialization, identity development, and sexual norm internalization?
Social media platforms like TikTok have become increasingly popular among young people today. With over 800 million active users worldwide as of March 2021, it has undoubtedly played a role in shaping the lives of many teens and tweens who spend most of their time on it. One of the most noticeable impacts of this is how it influences their views about sex and relationships.