Year: 2006
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: The purpose of this thesis is to comprehensively study love and sexuality on the internet, for example\nuser demographics, usage patterns, and descriptions of the arenas that constitute the sexual landscape\non the internet. Instead of using more traditional ways of data collection, quantitative and qualitative\ndata were collected through the internet.\nA review of prior research in the field shows that the studies conducted are fragmented, specialized,\nand clustered around specific topics. In addition, prior studies are predominantly empirical\nwith little connection to social theory. In this thesis, empirical findings are related to both prior research\nand theory. The theoretical starting points are Bauman and his concept of liquid modernity,\nGoffman and his dramaturgical perspective, and Gagnon and Simon’s theory of sexual scripts. This\nthesis consists of four quantitative articles and one qualitative report, each with its own demarcated\npurpose.\nThe first article examines online sexual activities and how these are influenced by gender and\nage. Two major dimensions were found among the sexual activities and were labelled “accessing erotica”\nand “partner seeking”. The results show that men prefer to view online erotica while women prefer\nto flirt. More men than women use the internet to find partners, to visit dating sites and to reply to\nsex ads. Women, on the other hand, use the internet to stay in contact with their partners and to seek\neducation/information about sex. Respondents older than 50 years use the internet less for sexual purposes.\nIn the second article, those who dropped out from the online questionnaire are examined. Approximately\nhalf of those who start to fill out the questionnaire drop out before completion. Dropouts\ncan be identified by gender, sexual orientation, and internet connection speed. Men, heterosexuals, and\nthose with modem connections tend to drop out earlier than others.\nThe third article focuses on those who engage in cybersex, which is defined as two or more\npersons engaging in mutual sexual talk while online for sexual pleasure. Approximately one third of\nboth men and women engage in cybersex. A multivariate analysis shows that men over 50 are less\nlikely to engage in cybersex. Furthermore, homosexuals are more likely than heterosexuals to have\ncybersex. Those who engage in cybersex spend more time online for sexual purposes and have more\noffline sex partners in comparison to those without this experience.\nThe fourth article examines those who are sexually compulsive according to a 10-item sexual\ncompulsivity scale. Almost 6 percent are categorized as sexual compulsives. A multivariate analysis\nshows sexual compulsives more likely to be men than women, to be bisexual rather than heterosexual,\nand to be in a relationship rather than single. Contrary to prior research, the time spent online seems to\nindicate the activities they engage in. A bivariate analysis shows sexual compulsives to have consumed\npornography before starting to use the internet for sexual purposes and to increase their offline\npornography consumption more than non-sexual compulsives.\nIn the qualitative report the sexual landscape, the actors, and the online sexual activities are\nexamined. The report shows that generational differences influence which arenas are used and how\nthey are used. Younger users spend much time online and integrate the internet in their everyday lives\nof which love and sexuality is part. Older users log on to the internet to engage in activities specifically\nrelated to love and sexuality. The results show that online experiences influence the informants’\nbehaviors offline and vice versa. Finally, this study emphasizes the changing nature of the internet and\nhow this influences arenas and actors which in turn influence behaviors.\nThis thesis emphasizes anonymity as an important aspect for understanding love and sexuality\non the internet. In addition, it shows how love and sexuality on the internet can be explained and understood\nin relation to prior theory.
Author: Kristian Daneback
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Gender equality
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2146344760