Sexuality and Social Media

Social media is defined as digital-based platforms that enable sharing of information, open up possibilities for the creation and distribution of content by users themselves, and promote collaborations across people and communities. These new forms of communication have transformed many aspects of modern human relationships, including personal, social, business, and other spheres. Some significant influences on social media are social development and self-expression, especially in areas traditionally limited in mainstream media and cultural discourse, such as sexuality. Major factors that contribute to more open discourse on sexuality within social media include dissolutions of physicality (disconnection from specific geographic and cultural locations), latency (immediacy of communication), and anonymity. This entry offers a general introduction to the impact of social media on sexuality and sexual identities.