The “Desires of the Flesh”: Young People Exploring Sexuality on Social Media
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25159/2412-8457/19252Keywords:
youth, sexualities, South Africa, social media, consumptionAbstract
The sexuality of young people in South Africa has been the subject of extensive research, with much of the academic focus falling on their vulnerabilities and issues surrounding risky sexual behaviour, particularly in relation to HIV and AIDS. While considerable research has explored young people’s sexuality, the recent shift towards digitalisation and widespread access to smart devices has created new opportunities for many young people to express and represent their sexualities on social media. Despite this significant development, there has been limited research exploring how young people are representing their sexualities within the context of social media in South Africa. This article draws from a research project which used a mixed-methods approach to explore the way young people practise and navigate their sexualities in digital social spaces and what this means in their lives. This article focuses primarily on qualitative data drawn from focus group discussions designed to share and reflect on the way young people navigate social media, as well as to explore the impact of what they share and consume on social media about their sexualities.
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