The Influence of Social Media on Adolescent Sexual Behavior: A Retrospective Analysis

In this modern era, the internet has become an essential part of basic human needs. Social media, as one of the most widely used platforms, offers various benefits, such as a means of communication and self-expression. However, behind these benefits, there are various negative impacts, especially for teenagers and minors. One of them is access to pornographic content that can influence premarital sexual behavior. This study aims to analyze the influence of social media on adolescent sexual behavior. The research method used is a literature study, by collecting and reviewing theories from various relevant literatures. Based on an analysis of seven international articles, it was found that adolescents have a very high exposure to negative content on social media, including pornography. This exposure increases the risk of unhealthy sexual behavior, where the more often adolescents are exposed to information and experiences related to sexual behavior, the stronger the stimulus to imitate the behavior. One significant impact of unhealthy social media use is the increase in promiscuous sex among adolescents. The implications of this study emphasize the importance of supervision and education for adolescents in using social media to minimize these negative impacts.