The internet is changing young people's ideas and behaviors with respect to sexuality

The internet is changing young people’s ideas and behaviors with respect to sexuality

Internet is the latest form of technology that has advanced and now integral part of the people’s life. Technology has enabled people to transact their business and even communicate with each other in different localities. It holds chunks of information of different topics and through its networks; the information is accessible within seconds. The milestones that have come with internet are insurmountable (Leung & Paul, 2012, p. 403). One of the topics of interest to young people is on sex. Young people are sexually active and this triggers them to source for information on internet on various issues to do with sex, and sexuality. The motivating factor for increased information search on internet is to quell their curiosity about sex. Even though, few studies have been tried out on the influence of internet on young people behaviors about sex, a number of them have indicated that indeed internet plays fundamental contribution in changing ideas and behaviors of young people about sexuality.

Internet is a platform that allows people to connect from remote locations that they are in. It includes inter-connected networks that function through satellites. People are therefore, able to access and share information through the World Wide Web. Internet is therefore, one of the contemporary technologies that has turned the world into global village and changed the way people relate and perform their daily activities. Even though internet is cited to have impacted positively on the life of many, it has also contributed to decay and loss of morals among many youths. They take most of their time chatting, and doing all sorts of things on the internet. Studies have revealed that, most youths use internet for social purposes and for leisure (Jackson et al 2004, p. 43). This heavy use of internet comes with its own ramification. Through the platform, the young people learn new knowledge and experiences through their sharing. They also get to share sexuality topics which contribute to their sexual behaviors.

Behaviors are learned from daily experiences and exposure to different information. Young people learn many ideas and acquire information as well as develop their behaviors from the internet. Apart from informative contents, internet has information on sexual topics such as pornography, lesbianism, homosexuality among many other topics. Unfortunately, many of the young people fall prey to this kind of information that makes them to change their behaviors. Many of them get exposed to such sites without their expectations or free of will. In a study carried out in UK and Greece among young people, it was revealed that 60% of young people aged between the age of 6-10 were online by 2008 while 34% of this percentage uses their own computers. In the study, it showed that it was a common place to be exposed to pornography materials. It was also found out that among the young people aged between 9-19 years old that go online once per week, 57% of them encountered online pornography accidentally, 36% found themselves on this sites by mistake, 38% saw a porn pop-up advert while doing something while 25% received porn spams via their instant messaging and email (Tsaliki, 2011, p. 297). The way these young people respond varies according to their age. The study found out that young people exposed to porn varies as 54% claimed that they were not bothered by the exposure, 145 liked the site, while 28% of the respondents aged between 9-1 years said that were usually disappointed by the exposure. It was also revealed that 31% of the young people that were exposed to the porn materials liked it and therefore, they would revisit the site again. This statistics therefore, depicts the risk at which young people are exposed to on accessing to such materials. They affect the minds of the young people and there is likely to trigger behavior and idea change.

The study also found that out of the respondents, 2% of the boys and 8% of girls expressed their wish of not getting exposed to such materials on the internet (Tsaliki, 2011, p. 293). This is a small percentage, which is a clear indication of the influence that these sites cause on the behaviors of the young people towards sexuality. The sexually explicit content therefore provoked stronger negative reactions from young children.

In another study conducted among 40 young people in Hanoi, Vietnam between the month of January and April 2006 among sexually active young people aged between the ages of 15 to 19 years, internet played a role in the development of young people intimate practices and sexual identities in two ways (Ngo, Ross & Ratliff, 2008, P. 209). Internet is valuable source of information to young people as they can learn about modern cosmopolitan lives, different perspectives of/and sexuality as they begin to engage in identity construction. Second, it is used as medium of communication giving young people a platform to engage in public discussion on sexual information from the internet and other media. Most of the responses from the respondents indicated the complex process of sexual identity formation and relationship development (Albright, 2008, p. 175). Exposure to internet content affected the thinking and behaviors of the young people as they openly discussed sex topics concerning themes on beauty, loving relationships, intimacy relationships and premarital sex. Therefore, this is a clear evident that actually shows the influence and the changes that the internet can have on the life of young people about sexuality. Through the sharing of information about topics on sex, romantics and even same sex relationships are discussed on the internet by young people, many of them are likely to be lured to try such behaviors, which may lead many of them to emulating awful behaviors.

According to Corstjens & Umblijs (2012), the mind of young people is easily distracted through their exposure to awful materials relating to sexuality (p. 443). Yung people are highly consuming information available on the internet and therefore they face the highest risk of becoming culprits to exposure to sexuality information. It is often claimed that, idea and behaviors are learned and adapted through interactions and the environment in which people are nurtured. Exposing young people to internet content is a risk that should be approached positively to mitigate the negative consequences that relates to their exposure. Some of the ways to cub this is through censorship to ensure that no person and children is able to access to materials that are sexually inclined.

According to Buhi, Ellen & Hollie (2009), most students in the 2 and 4 year are heavy consumers of internet information (p. 101). The reason for heavy reliance on the internet is to manage their social life as well as academic life including conducting research, communication with the students, professors and friends and sharing of pictures as well as seeking health information. According to Buhi, Ellen & Hollie (2009), internet is one of the preferred outlets for people to learn about embracing health topics that are not discussed with parents and educators and health providers. Various issues such as sexuality, menstruation, body changes, physical / sexual abuse, pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases among many others. Therefore, internet helps in changing the ideas and behaviors of the young people on how they approach various issues pertaining to sexuality. They can through this medium voice out their concerns and experiences, and share on the various sexual issues that faces them. Therefore, a medium has in-depth influence on the young people as it shapes their attitude on sexuality.

Involvement in cult’s activities such as gay and lesbian are all learned through internet (Corstjens & Umblijs, 2012, p. 446). Young people through the internet provide information and even make advances or requests to other people to join them. Therefore, young people influence others to behave in certain manner through the internet (Berger, & Katherine, 2012, p. 192). Many young people are engaging in premarital sexual relationships without knowing the repercussions (Lagan, Sinclair & Kernohan, 2011, p. 336). Once they get pregnant, they use the internet as a source of information to learn about ways of aborting the foetus. Therefore, the presence of internet has increased the cases of abortion and other atrocities in the society.

The internet, intention was to provide information that would help or impact on the lives of people. It aimed at enlightening the society and making their daily lives, not destroying it and eradicating societal vices such as sexual abuses.

In conclusion, internet technology is one of the technologies that have impacted positively on the lives of the people. However, it has also caused a lot of harm to the society. The behaviors of the members of the society have been eroded with internet technology as people use internet inappropriately. Most of these things are done in privacy, as a person cannot be seen when doing such behaviors because they are done in closed doors. Young people learn new ideas and adopt new behaviors from the interactions and the environment they come from. Internet has become one of the most preferred methods of interactions and communication among the youths and this possess risk. The information that is readily available on the internet sites is a threat to the behaviors of the young people. Pornography and other sexual related literature and information are available on the internet which has contributed to change in attitudes about sexuality among the young people. Many young people therefore should be educated on the productive use of internet to help improve their lives.

References

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