Recently published research Journal of Adolescent Health Sexting was found not to contribute to increases in depressive symptoms or behavioral problems among adolescents over time. This finding suggests that efforts to reduce sexting among young people may not prevent mental health problems as much as previously thought.
Adolescence is a crucial developmental period, with significant physical, emotional and social changes. With the advent of digital media, communication methods have evolved, with digital platforms becoming an important venue for sexual interactions among teenagers. With the increased use of smartphones, sexting, the sending and receiving of sexually explicit messages and images, has become common.
There is growing concern that sexting may be linked to mental health problems among adolescents, but research to date has relied primarily on cross-sectional studies, which only capture a snapshot in time and cannot take into account pre-existing differences between sexters and non-sexters.
“Various studies have shown that sexting has a negative impact on mental health. However, the findings are mainly based on cross-sectional data and we cannot rule out whether sexting causes mental health problems or whether certain individuals are more likely to engage in sexting and have poorer mental health,” said Lars-Roar Froyland, senior researcher at the Norwegian Institute for Social Research (NOVA) at Oslo Metropolitan University and author of the study.
“In our study, we were able to use a strong methodological design that followed the same individuals over an extended period of time, allowing us to more clearly analyze cause and effect. Our main motivation for studying this topic was to leverage this methodological strength to provide more robust knowledge about the long-term association between sexting and mental health.”
The study drew on data from the MyLife study, a longitudinal research project investigating adolescent health and development in Norway. The sample consisted of 3,000 adolescents aged 15 to 19 who participated in at least one of three evaluation periods between 2019 and 2021. Researchers used standardized questionnaires to measure sexting, depressive symptoms, and behavioral problems at each time point.
Sexting was assessed through questions about sending or sharing sexual photos or videos, with responses ranging from “never” to “daily or almost daily.” Depressive symptoms were measured using a modified version of the Patient Health Questionnaire for Adolescents, which includes items about low mood, sleep problems, and lack of energy. Behavioral problems were assessed through questions about behaviors such as stealing, bullying, and vandalism.
The study found that the percentage of adolescents who sexted changed over time: 30.5% of girls reported sexting at the first time, 36.7% at the second time, and 33.7% at the third time; for boys, the figures were 33.1%, 29.9%, and 21.6%, respectively. Depressive symptoms were more common in girls, while conduct problems were more common in boys.
Using a statistical technique called random intercept cross-lagged panel modeling (RI-CLPM), researchers were able to separate individual differences over time from within-person effects, which helps determine whether changes in one variable predict changes in another variable within the same individual.
Results showed that there were no significant within-person effects of sexting on depressive symptoms for either girls or boys. In other words, adolescents who increased their sexting behavior did not experience higher levels of depression compared to typical levels. For girls, behavioral problems at one time point were associated with increased sexting at the next time point, suggesting that behavioral problems may not lead to increased sexting, but rather vice versa.
“This study indicates that sexting does not contribute to increased depressive symptoms or behavioral problems among adolescents,” Froiland told PsyPost, “Thus, efforts to reduce sexting may not prevent mental health problems among young people. Therefore, experts should focus on educating adolescents on how to sext safely and responsibly.”
While this study provides valuable insights, it is not without limitations. One major limitation is that the survey does not distinguish between consensual and non-consensual sexting. This distinction is critical because non-consensual sexting, such as coercion or non-consensual sharing, may have different mental health consequences than consensual sexting.
“We cannot rule out the possibility that non-consensual sexting may have adverse mental health effects whereas consensual sexting does not,” Froiland said, “but the methodological strengths of this study mean that these potential concerns are outweighed.”
“I hope to continue this research into both the consensual use of digital media in adolescents’ sex lives and sexual violence related to digital media. It is expected that adolescents will continue to use digital media for sexual purposes, so we need to develop knowledge to support them to do this safely and to avoid committing violence against others when doing so.”
The study, “Adolescent Sexting and Mental Health: A Longitudinal Study,” was written by Roar Frøyland, Rikke Tokle, Jasmina Burdzovic Andreas, and Geir Scott Brunborg.
