Social networking, identity and sexual behaviour of undergraduate students in Nigerian universities
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/EL-01-2015-0014 |
| Date | 05 June 2017 |
| Published date | 05 June 2017 |
| Pages | 534-558 |
| Author | Williams Ezinwa Nwagwu |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Information & communications technology,Internet |
Social networking, identity and
sexual behaviour of
undergraduate students in
Nigerian universities
Williams Ezinwa Nwagwu
Africa Regional Center for Information Science, University of Ibadan, Ibadan,
Nigeria and Department of Information Studies, University of South Africa,
Pretoria, South Africa
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this study was to examine how the identity of undergraduates who use social
networking sites in selected Nigerian universities inuences the prediction of their sexual behaviour.
Design/methodology/approach –A questionnaire survey was used to collect data from 388 students
from three public universities in Nigeria.
Findings –Sex and age exerted sufcient inuence on the youth’s sexual behaviour, but the identity
variables seemed only to increase the tendency of younger males to form intimate relationship with partners.
Specically, young males who maintain high level of social relationships have a high tendency of developing
intimate relationship with partners.
Research limitations/implications –This study that deployed identity variables provides
wide-ranging information on how identity moderates sexual behaviour in the presence of traditional
predictors of demographic characteristics and social networking.
Practical implications –This study demonstrates that identity has a very strong inuence of the
predictive power of sex and age on sexual behaviour.
Originality/value –This study is the rst that examined sexual behaviour, identity and social networking
together.
Keywords Electronic media, Internet, Social networking, Social media, Nigeria, Computers,
Sexual behaviour
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Technology-assisted social networking has blossomed rapidly in the past decade,
particularly with the development of Web 2.0, which has led to tremendous changes in how
people meet and relate in person-centred, convenient, meaningful and valuable ways
(Blanchard, 2011). Whether using the proxy of alumni album and friend-nding and
friend-making in Facebook, the professional purpose-built and ofce deputation facility of
LinkedIn, dating sites, such as Badoo, or a personal blog, relationship building has become
easier and cheaper. Prior to these online developments, young people exploited various
face-to-face strategies in specic physical places and physical community spaces, such as
schools, churches, parties, pen-pals, clubs, etc. to meet up, make friends and hang out
(Gobble, 2012). The launch of smartphones and mobile devices with internet capabilities and
the technical convergence of computer and mobile networks have opened great opportunities
for synergy between social networking sites and mobile social network software through
supporting social networking activities anytime and anywhere (Lugano, 2008). These social
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0264-0473.htm
EL
35,3
534
Received 23 January 2015
Revised 11 May 2015
27 July 2015
22 November 2015
6 February 2016
30 May 2016
8 July 2016
Accepted 24 September 2016
TheElectronic Library
Vol.35 No. 3, 2017
pp.534-558
©Emerald Publishing Limited
0264-0473
DOI 10.1108/EL-01-2015-0014
networking technologies have increased the opportunities for young people to engage in
regular interaction with their friends and families. Social networking sites facilitate this
practice by permitting members to create their own proles containing what they want their
prospective friends and others to know about them. By doing this, young social network
users are able to connect with other people whose interests are similar to theirs and with
whom they then interact to exchange comments, private messages, and pictures, among
others things (Chan and Ghose, 2014;Danah and Nicole, 2008;Sherry, 2011).
Social networking is occurring in Nigeria as in most places. Nigeria is the largest internet
mobile market in Africa, and 35 million of the 115 million mobile telephone subscribers in the
country are using handheld devices to access internet data services. A recent survey carried
out by BusinessDay (2013) found that social media accounted for, by far, more trafc of
Nigerian youth on the internet than any other services and that sex-related activities are the
major attraction.
Use and choices of activities, as well as relationships, in the social networks will be
expected to be related to people’s identities. In its basic meaning, identity describes who
people perceive themselves to be, what they wish to be and who they wish to relate with
(Pearson, 2011). Identity is a relational and contextual label that distinctly identies and
characterizes an individual. It is cultivated through interrelationship with family and the
environment, and it encompasses issues about people who an individual wishes to emulate
and those that need to be avoided. Some scholars have studied the concept of online
identities, seeking to understand the character or identity of an individual, while presenting
the self in a social network (Baym, 2010;Ellison, 2013;Ganda, 2014). Very importantly,
identity relates to sexual behaviour (Cheek, 1989;Galupo et al., 2014).
A healthy feeling of wanting to be admired, touched, loved and cared for by another
person is natural and is expected to develop in young people as they grow (Alubo, 2000).
Social networks create opportunities for young people to engage in discussions that may lead
to the satisfaction of these needs. Social networking sites provide a unique atmosphere
conducive for expression and discussions of all forms of sexuality, without the traditional
oversight of parents, family members and others in society. This is because these
interactions may be taking place through mobile phones which have been assessed to be
convenient for person-centred and person-dened in a dened manner. Participants are not
constrained by barriers imposed by face-to-face contact or place or location. However, the
associated risks associated with using social networks, such as exposing young adults to
cyber-bullying, harassment and sexting, may lead to depression and the risk of HIV/AIDS
and other sexually transmitted diseases. Also, membership and friendship in a social
organization or group is a factor that may predisposes adolescents to risky sexual
behaviours (Hayes, 2010).
Evidently, there is a link between adolescent exposure to sexual media content and their
sexual activities because many teens have reported various media among their primary
sources of information about sexual behaviour (Hoff et al., 2003). There is strong support that
viewing sexual content in media contributes to increased sexual activity among adolescents
(Collins et al., 2004;Hennessy et al., 2009;Pardun et al., 2005). Brown et al. (2006) and Bleakley
et al. (2008) studied the relationship between adolescent sexual behaviour and the type of
media used. They used content analysis to determine the amount of sexual content in the
media listed by the teens. The study found that teens exposed to a heavier sexual content
across media were more likely to have had sexual intercourse in the time between interviews
than those who were less exposed to such content.
With specic respect to social media, facts are already emerging that online social
networking positively relates to sexual risk behaviours, such as formation of an intimate sex
535
Undergraduate
students
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