Literature review reveals complex psychosexual health outcomes in youth from digital exposure, highlighting the need for structured sex education.
Key Points
To examine how internet exposure, social media, and digital interactions influence the cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and relational dimensions of youth psychosexual development.
Extensive literature review and synthesis of contemporary empirical studies examining youth mental and sexual health in digital environments.
Evaluation of both beneficial and adverse psychosexual outcomes related to sexually explicit media, virtual relationships, and peer dynamics.
Online platforms facilitate sexual health education, identity exploration, and community support, but excessive engagement is associated with distorted sexual expectations, cybersexual addiction, risky behaviors, depression, and body image distress.
Psychosexual outcomes are significantly moderated by age, frequency of digital engagement, digital literacy, cultural factors, and the degree of parental supervision.