In the past few decades, technology has become an integral part of daily human life, particularly in developed countries. It is no longer surprising to find people spending hours a day using their smartphones, tablets, computers, TVs, gaming consoles, or other devices that are connected to the internet. These technologies have transformed how people communicate, work, entertain themselves, conduct business transactions, learn, shop, research, study, socialize, and even form relationships. One area where digitalization has had significant impact is religion. Religions play an essential role in shaping societies' values, beliefs, and norms concerning sex and sexuality.
How does digitization mediate religious influence on sexual behavior? How far does it amplify this influence? This article explores these issues.
The advent of technology has brought about many changes in communication methods among humans.
Online dating applications such as Tinder, OkCupid, and Match.com have revolutionized how people connect romantically. People can meet each other virtually before meeting physically, thereby reducing initial rejection barriers when interacting. While this has increased opportunities for forming new relationships, it has also led to more casual encounters, which may lead to unsafe sexual practices without proper protection (Warren & McIntyre, 2019). Religion plays an important role in influencing whether individuals engage in safe sexual behaviors through its rules, doctrines, teachings, and prohibitions.
Most religions encourage faithfulness in marriage and promote abstinence outside marriage, but some allow sex before marriage if engaged. Digitization has made it easier for adherents to uphold these teachings by connecting them with like-minded partners who share their views. On the flip side, digitization provides a platform that facilitates easy access to pornographic material, which contradicts these teachings. It is, therefore, evident that digitalization mediates religion's influence on sexual behavior within some boundaries.
Another way that digitalization affects sexual behavior is through social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, and others where people interact socially online. These platforms provide an excellent avenue for people to express themselves freely and receive feedback from peers.
They are not immune to religious influence either. Many communities exist on social media where users openly discuss issues related to faith, including sexuality.
Christians discuss purity culture, while Muslims talk about modesty, which influences how they behave sexually. Some of these communities are public, while others are private. Digitalization amplifies religious influence on sexual behavior through providing a space for people to connect, share their experiences, and receive advice.
Social media allows users to identify other religious groups sharing similar views on morality regarding sex. Therefore, technology has both positively and negatively affected religion's influence on sexual behavior depending on context.
Digitalization also impacts intimacy through changing people's perceptions of romantic relationships, family ties, and sexuality. The internet offers many ways to communicate virtually without physical contact, making it easier for people to form deep connections (Warren & McIntyre, 2019). This may lead to long-distance romances, but it also facilitates infidelity due to the lack of physical presence in relationships. Religion plays a role in defining what constitutes adultery, and its teachings are often at odds with modern concepts of infidelity since most religions uphold monogamy. Digitization increases the possibility of cheating by enabling partners to have affairs secretly using chatting apps or online dating sites.
Digitization has led to an increase in online harassment, bullying, and abuse, which can lead to trauma that affects individuals' sexual behavior (Kaplan et al., 2016). Religious beliefs may guide victims on how to heal from such situations, and digitalization amplifies this by enabling people to seek help from religious leaders and support groups.
Some platforms are not suitable for minors since they contain explicit content.
Digitalization impacts sexual behavior by mediating and amplifying religion's influence on human lives through social media, online dating, and communication methods.
To what extent does the digitalization of social life mediate or amplify religious influence on sexual behavior in contemporary societies?
The impact of religion on sexual behavior is not as influential in today's society as it was before because modern societies have become more secularized due to digitalization and globalization. As people are becoming less religious, they are increasingly influenced by their peers and media rather than religious norms.