Mental Health
Smartphones and the sexual behaviour of Generation Z college men in the USA.
Open Access: N0.
Abstract
This study examined the potential impact of social media including pornography and the online dating tools used by Generation Z college men. Through the narratives provided by young college men on how smartphone use has impacted their sexual attitudes, intimacy skills and sex lives, findings shed new light on sexual socialisation. Data were collected using semistructured narrative interviews from 13 male students aged 18 to 22 years old attending a large, predominantly White west coast US university. Interviews were analysed using categorical content analysis to identify major themes. Smartphones were perceived as creating the perceived pressure to have sex, yet discouraged sexual intimacy by serving as a means by which to avoid such intimacy. Young men reported lack of experience initiating intimate relationships even though they wanted to have them. Experiencing failures within the context of sexual encounters decreased self-esteem. Parents’ ability to communicate affected young men’s sexual attitudes and behaviour. These results, although derived from a homogenous sample of men from a primarily White US university, offer a means by which to understand the desire for, yet the insecurity of, sexual intimacy within the context of smartphone use.
Relevance
“Young men want intimate relationships but are anxious about it. All but one participant acknowledged the desire to have intimacy in their relationships and how smartphones were taking that away. Several participants described how discouraged, scared, and frustrated they were about their generation.”
“Smartphones are a social crutch that discourages intimacy and lowers self-esteem.”
“A yearning for connection was evident throughout every interview. Some participants, however, did not name their desire for intimacy explicitly whereas others described it through stories of pain, sorrow, frustration, casual sexual encounters and discomfort with the ways in which people do not intimately engage. Participants described their generation as troubling and concerning because of the use of smartphones and their perceived effects on human interaction and development, specifically of a sexual nature.”
“Young men watch pornography a lot. Every participant except one watched porn. Doing so, had been a regular part of their day since they were about 12 years old.”
Citation
Kaviani, C., & Nelson, A. (2020). Smartphones and the sexual behaviour of Generation Z college men in the USA. Sex Education, 21(3), 378–385. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681811.2020.1790350
