Sexting among the younger generations reflects their countries’ traditional morals

Sexting among the younger generations reflects their countries’ traditional morals A new study compares differences and similarities in the exchange of erotic messages and content by those under 25 in Spain, Colombia and Mexico It can start tentatively, sometimes with innocent flirtation that later escalates to sending erotic photos and videos . The digital mating ritual known as sexting has similar characteristics across the globe, but it is subject to some regional differences. A new study has found that, for example, young Spanish women practice it more than Colombian and Mexican women.

And in Mexico, the heft of macho prototypes may be reflected in a more positive view among men of exchanging erotic messages than those held by Colombian and Spanish males of the same age group. The goal of the study — which draws from a sample of 3,726 men and women between 17 and 25 years of age — was to learn how the cultures of Spain, Mexico and Colombia influenced the frequency, attitudes and motivation that young people bring to sexual interactions through social media. Researchers found that sexting is common among young adults, and that it is prevalent throughout the three countries.



However, adolescents practice it most frequently in Mexico where, similar to Colombia and Spain, men often have more favorable attitudes towards the style of interaction than their women peers. Also, Mexican men have more positive views than the rest of the sample and often associate virtual sex with fun and pleasure. The same goes for Spanish women, who are less reluctant to participate in such interactions.

Among all those surveyed, the primary motivation expressed for practicing sexting was strengthening intimacy with one’s partner. Ricardo Fandiño Pascual, a clinical psychologist and author of La lucha sexual de los adolescentes en la hipermodernidad ( The sexual struggle of adolescents in hyper-modernity ), did not participate in the study, but says after reading its conclusions, they were not surprising to someone who has been following the subject for decades. “Sexual behavior is always conditioned by culture and regulated by a moral determinate that has to do with time period and determined social contexts.

It doesn’t strike me as strange that sexting differs by gender and nationality,” he says. At the end of the day, he says, a concrete practice such as this one, “reflects a more general pattern of sexual behavior and morals.” Silvia Sanz, a Madrid psychologist and sexologist, says that “in contexts of greater feminine sexual freedom, women feel much more comfortable in the area of digital interaction.

” In contrast, in more conservative or misogynist societies, “it’s much easier for women who take the initiative or exhibit their body to find themselves judged.” That is to say, the fact that Latin American women limit or inhibit their desires to engage in sexting out of fear of being stigmatized can be seen as an indicator of how deeply entrenched machismo is in those cultures. Motives that young people use to justify this sexual practice also vary by country.

Mexican women are the most influenced by their partners when it comes to exchanging erotic content, while Colombians are more likely to do it because of social pressure and the consumption of substances, like alcohol, which can lead to greater negative outcomes that, of course, can impact anyone. “In light of these results, we have to educate on the subject of consent and sexual assertiveness to reduce risks,” says Rafael Ballster Arnal, a professor at Jaume I University in Castelló de la Plana, Spain who is the study’s co-author, and who has worked within the field since 1993. The risks of sexting are not limited to one’s photo winding up in the wrong hands, but also in the pursuit of external validation.

Ballester explains that “We tend to think people who send the biggest number of sexual images of themselves are people with higher self-esteem, or even narcissists. But what has been seen in the most recent studies is that this is not always the case.” Sometimes, says Ballester, insecure people send or share such images because they need the approval of others.

“Social media allows you to show what you want and teaches us how you can exhibit that in exchange for a like . That is dangerous, because one can wind up in dynamics of extorsion and dependence.” In this sense, Sanz emphasizes that responsible sexting practices involve not only taking care not to show one’s face, tattoos or other identifying characteristics, but also “knowing when you want to do it, with who, and what is leading you to do it, emotionally.

” Sexting isn’t required to prove one’s love, nor as a mechanism for receiving acceptance, nor as part of a quid pro quo. “The first thing we must consider,” says Fandiño, “is that we live in a social context in which sexual content has been rendered banal.” Erotic images and pornography circulate throughout our daily lives on many levels and in total normalcy, from gigantic billboards to WhatsApp stickers.

This — in addition to the fact, as Ballester says, that “we have rendered banal the concept of intimacy,” to the point in which television programs like Temptation Island completely strip some individuals of their privacy in front of millions of people — adds up to a cocktail of factors that implies certain risks. Ballester sums it up like so: “We have created a culture in which we value exposure as being synonymous with fame and prestige. Adolescents no longer value intimacy as much, and also, they have the tools with which to expose themselves.

” Experts recommend that we respond to this by educating young people so that they know the difference between what is private and public , and without resorting to alarmist messages that can set off a wave of moral panic. “If we demonize these practices, that won’t achieve a very positive educational effect either,” says Fandiño. He adds, “An adolescent is very clear that they wouldn’t hang a photo of themselves in their underwear from a tree in the town square, but isn’t as clear about not doing that on their Instagram account, which is basically the same thing.

” Digital environments transmit a false feeling of control when it comes to carrying out practices like sexting, which explains why the perception of its risk is very low in Spain, just as it is in Colombia and Mexico, according to the recent study. “Social media gives us many possibilities for personalization,” says Fandiño, “they makes us think that we have complete control over what we share with others, but it’s important to be aware that we have much less control than we think.” Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAÍS USA Edition Tu suscripción se está usando en otro dispositivo ¿Quieres añadir otro usuario a tu suscripción? Si continúas leyendo en este dispositivo, no se podrá leer en el otro.

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