This document discusses research on the interaction between social media users and explicit content. It finds that social media is a significant medium for explicit content, especially among younger adults. While the research shows correlations between explicit content and risky sexual behavior, the causal relationships are unclear. Motivations for posting explicit content on social media include seeking attention, empowerment, and as a form of communication. Individuals' perceptions of others' explicit content are usually negative. However, more research is still needed due to limitations in the existing studies.

1. THE INTERACTION BETWEEN
SOCIAL MEDIA USERS AND
EXPLICIT CONTENT
Kian McIntosh – Social Media and Free Expression

2. WHAT IS EXPLICIT CONTENT?
• Content that suggests, describes or represents sexual activity in a
graphic fashion
• This definition is used to avoid confusion between definitions
• Some things that would be considered only “suggestive” are included
for simplicity

3. IMPORTANCE
• Explicit content has been present in numerous forms of communication
spanning centuries
• Explicit content is important to understanding psychology
• Sigmund Freud
• Potential to be related to real-world implications

4. RESEARCH QUESTIONS
• Is social media a significant medium of explicit content?
• Is explicit content related to risky sexual behavior?
• What motivates individuals to post explicit content on social media?
• How do individuals process or perceive explicit content others post?

5. IS SOCIAL MEDIA A SIGNIFICANT
MEDIUM OF EXPLICIT CONTENT?
• Social media prevalence as a whole (Pew Internet, 2017)
• As of Nov 2016, 69% of adults use social media in some form
• In Mar 2005, that number was only 5%
• Facebook – 68%
• Instagram – 28%
• Pinterest – 26%
• LinkedIn – 25%
• Total use of 18-29 age range – 86%

6. IS SOCIAL MEDIA A SIGNIFICANT
MEDIUM OF EXPLICIT CONTENT?
• Important to understanding the scale and relevance of the other
research questions
• One study (Shaughnessy, Fudge, and Byers, 2017) separated online
sexual activities (OSA) into three categories and inquired participants
about their usage of them (n=153)
• Non-arousal OSA – 98.7%
• Solitary-arousal OSA – 85.8%
• Partnered-arousal OSA – 77.4%

7. IS EXPLICIT CONTENT RELATED TO RISKY
SEXUAL BEHAVIOR?
• Study conducted in a southeastern US university (Kimberly et. al., 2011)
• 145 women completed survey related to social media use, their history of
sexting, demographic information, and their sexual behavior tendencies.
• Study found no significant correlation between use of social media and
sexting, but did find a significant correlation between social media
enjoyment and sexting
• Positive correlation between social media and risky sexual activity
• Sexting individuals were more likely to be engaged in online activities as a
whole

8. IS EXPLICIT CONTENT RELATED TO RISKY
SEXUAL BEHAVIOR?
• In one article, one of the working hypotheses explained sexting as a
tool that people used to replace physical sexual behavior.
• However, this hypothesis was not supported by the data collected
(Champion and Pedersen, 2015)
• Instead, sexting seems to exist concurrently with other risky behaviors

9. WHAT MOTIVATES INDIVIDUALS TO
POST EXPLICIT CONTENT ON SOCIAL
MEDIA?
(Champion and
Pedersen, 2015)

10. WHAT MOTIVATES INDIVIDUALS TO
POST EXPLICIT CONTENT ON SOCIAL
MEDIA?
• A study conducted in a Western Canadian City of several colleges found a
strong connection between “global sensation seeking tendencies” and total
sexting rates (Champion and Pedersen, 2015)
• Hypothesized that the instant gratification overrides the potential longer-
term negative repercussions in groups that sext
• Additionally, all sexting groups seemed to perceive peer pressure as a factor
for their motivation
• Sexters were more likely than non-sexters to assume that people who sext
are expected to engage in sexual activity with the recipient.

11. WHAT MOTIVATES INDIVIDUALS TO
POST EXPLICIT CONTENT ON SOCIAL
MEDIA?
• At two large US state Universities, 23 women aged 18-24 were asked
questions about their views on explicit content in social media (Burkhart,
Hoopes, and Moreno)
• Reasons for posting explicit content identified by the participants include:
• Seeking attention
• Empowerment to women
• A form of communication – indication to others that they are single

12. HOW DO INDIVIDUALS PROCESS OR
PERCEIVE EXPLICIT CONTENT OTHERS
POST?
• In the same study, the authors also asked questions about the
participant’s reaction.
• Majority of reactions were negative
• Explicit content connected to alcohol, partying
• Overall – wide variety of responses

13. STUDY LIMITATIONS AND
WEAKNESSES
• Lack of causation – correlation only
• Non-random samples
• Research was conducted on a wide range of locations
• Mainly younger adults at universities sampled
• Significant amount of qualitative data, along with high potential
researcher bias
• Lack of total data collected
• Some articles focused on sexting, rather than just social media

14. CONCLUSION
• Is social media a significant medium of explicit content?
• Yes, especially in younger adults
• Is explicit content related to risky sexual behavior?
• Probably, although cause unknown
• What motivates individuals to post explicit content on social media?
• Variety of factors, such as to increase sexual appeal, supplement an already existing
relationship, or to increase self-confidence
• Apparently dependent of medium of communication and other factors
• How do individuals process or perceive explicit content others post?
• Usually is seen as negatively by women
• Needs additional research

15. SOURCES CITED
• Burkhart, L., Hoopes, A., & Moreno, M. (2017). "WHY IS THIS PERSON WRITING THIS
STUFF ON FACEBOOK?" FEMALE COLLEGE STUDENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF SEXUAL
REFERENCE DISPLAYS ON FACEBOOK. College Student Journal, 51(3), 337-346.
• Champion, Amanda R., and Cory L. Pedersen. “Investigating differences between
sexters and non-Sexters on attitudes, subjective norms, and risky sexual
behaviours.” The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, vol. 24, no. 3, 2015, pp. 205–
214., doi:10.3138/cjhs.243-a5.
• Kimberly, Claire, et al. “Young Adult Women, Sexting, and Risky Sexual
Behaviors.” Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice, vol. 10, no. 1, 2011,
pp. 1–8.

16. SOURCES CITED
• Shaughnessy, K., Fudge, M., & Byers, E. S. (2017). An exploration of prevalence,
variety, and frequency data to quantify online sexual activity experience. Canadian
Journal Of Human Sexuality, 26(1), 60-75. doi:10.3138/cjhs.261-A4
• Social Media Fact Sheet. (2017, January 12). Retrieved December 03, 2017, from
http://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheet/social-media/
• Vandenbosch, Laura, et al. “The Relationship Between Sexual Content on Mass
Media and Social Media: A Longitudinal Study.” Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and
Social Networking, vol. 18, no. 12, 2015, pp. 697–703., doi:10.1089/cyber.2015.0197.

17. SOURCES CITED
• Van den Bulck, J., Çetin, Y., Terzi, Ö., & Bushman, B. J. (2016). Violence, sex, and
dreams: Violent and sexual media content infiltrate our dreams at
night. Dreaming, 26(4), 271-279. doi:10.1037/drm0000036
• Zhang, Y., Miller, L. E., & Harrison, K. (2008). The Relationship Between Exposure to
Sexual Music Videos and Young Adults' Sexual Attitudes. Journal Of Broadcasting &
Electronic Media, 52(3), 368-386. doi:10.1080/08838150802205462