Abstract
Like the rest of the world, the new media are aiding and promoting speedy and easy access to information among adolescents in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), especially those in the urban centers who are of middle and upper class categorization. However, the new media are equally avenues for African adolescents to learn and develop antisocial behaviors. This article tries to interrogate the interconnectedness between the new media and adolescents’ sexual behavior in SSA, especially those in the middle and upper class background, by linking theories to realities. The theoretical assumptions of generational cohort theory (GCT), social learning theory (SLT), and uses and gratification theory (U&G) provide a good understanding of this connection. For instance, GCT would posit that the new generation of adolescents are born into a technological-driven society where the new media trend. SLT explains the connection from social psychological perspective and posits that learning, including sexual behavior, whether online or in the real world, is not purely behavioral, rather a cognitive process that takes place in a social context. U&G submits that new media are widely used by young people to achieve certain desires which may include cognitive, affective, personal integrated, social integrity, and tension-related needs. The article concludes that a single model analysis is not enough to understand the interconnectedness between the new media and adolescents’ sexual behavior in SSA. It rather suggests a theoretical pluralism. Effective parent–child communication regarding reproductive health matters, including sex and relationship education (SRE), in the school curriculum and homes are recommended.
Highlights
The new media are Internet-based applications that are accessible through smart phones and devices
Scholars have noted that antisocial behaviors are everywhere online
Theoretical pluralism offers complex ways of analyzing key variables of discourse based on their dynamism
Summary
The new media are Internet-based applications that are accessible through smart phones and devices. Studies all over the world have shown that the new media are exposing adolescents to SEMs and this is fast changing sexual activities and orientations among the adolescents with potential danger on reproductive health risks. The efficacy of theories in research has inspired the need to employ suitable theoretical frameworks in this article to understand the interplay between the new media and adolescents’ social behavior, with more specific reference on sexual behaviors.
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