Traversing TechSex: benefits and risks in digitally mediated sex and relationships
Jennifer Power
A * , Lily Moor A , Joel Anderson A B , Andrea Waling A , Alexandra James A , Nicole Shackleton A C , Anne-Maree Farrell D , Elizabeth Agnew E and Gary W. Dowsett A F
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, Building NR6, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Melbourne, Vic. 3086, Australia.
B School of Psychology, Daniel Mannix Builing, Australian Catholic University, Fitzroy, Melbourne, Vic. 3065, Australia.
C Law School, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Melbourne, Vic. 3086, Australia.
D Edinburgh Law School, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Old College, South Bridge, Edinburgh EH8 9YL, United Kingdom.
E School of Law, University Square, Queens University, BT7 1NN Belfast, Ireland.
F Centre for Social Research in Health, John Goodsell Building, UNSW, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
Sexual Health 19(1) 55-69 https://doi.org/10.1071/SH21220
Submitted: 4 November 2021 Accepted: 25 January 2022 Published: 3 March 2022
© 2022 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution- NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)
Abstract
Background: Digital technologies play a significant role in people’s sexual and intimate lives via smart phones, cameras, dating apps and social media. Although there is a large body of research on the potential risks posed by these technologies, research on benefits and pleasures is limited.
Methods: This study explored digital sexual practices, including perceptions of risks and benefits among a sample of Australian adults (n = 445). Data were collected in 2020 via an online survey. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were undertaken to identify significant relationships between demographic variables and the use of technologies in relation to perceived risks and benefits. The mean age of participants was 42 years, over half were women (58.5%) and identified as heterosexual (61.1%).
Results: Findings reveal that use of digital media was common in participants’ sex lives and relationships; 60.3% of participants had viewed pornography online, 34.9% had used dating apps, and 33.9% had sent sexual or naked self-images to another person. Over one in three reported positive outcomes from this: 38.2% felt emotionally connected to their partners due to online communication; 38.0% agreed that digital technologies facilitated closer connections; however, the majority of participants were aware of potential risks associated with online sexual engagement, particularly non-consensual exposure of their sexual or naked images, with women expressing greater concern.
Conclusions: Policy, legal and educational responses should be based on holistic understanding of digital sexual engagement, acknowledging the ways in which technologies can support sexual relationships while also building people’s knowledge and capacity to manage risks.
Keywords: digital sexual literacy, digital technologies, internet, online pornography, online safety, sexting, sexual health promotion, sexual practices.
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