Reactions to Unsolicited Violent, and Sexual, Explicit Media Content Shared over Social Media: Gender Differences and Links with Prior Exposure.

Laura Louise Nicklin,Emma Swain,Joanne Lloyd

doi:10.3390/ijerph17124296

Laura Louise Nicklin, Emma Swain + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17124296

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Abstract

While there has been extensive research into consumption of “traditional” forms of explicit sexual and violent media (within pornography, videogames and movies), the informal exchange and viewing of explicit real-world violent and sexual content via social media is an under-investigated and potentially problematic behaviour. The current study used an online survey (n = 225: 169f, 55m, 1x, mean age 30.61 (SD 12.03)) to explore self-reported reactions to unsolicited explicit violent and sexual content that participants had received from friends or contacts. In line with our predictions based on previous studies of fictional explicit content, we found effects of both gender and prior exposure on these reactions. Specifically, females rated both sexual and violent explicit content as significantly less funny and exciting and more disturbing than males did. Amongst males, those with high previous exposure rated violent content as more exciting than those with lower or no prior experience. Regardless of gender, participants with higher exposure to sexual content rated it as funnier than those with mild or no exposure, and those with higher exposure to violent content rated it as more amusing and more exciting. However, contrary to what desensitization theories would predict, prior exposure did not attenuate how disturbing explicit content (of either a sexual or a violent nature) was rated. Multiple avenues for further investigation emerged from this preliminary cross-sectional study, and we suggest priorities for further qualitative or longitudinal work on this novel topic.

Highlights

While there has been extensive research into the potential impacts of viewing fictional violent media in videogames and motion pictures [1], the informal exchange and viewing of explicit real-world violent footage is heavily under-researched, yet potentially highly problematic [2]
Violent content was perceived to be. In this online survey study, we explored how often social media users had received unsolicited
In this online survey study, we explored hownetworks often social received unsolicited explicit content from friends or contacts over social andmedia askedusers them had about how they typically explicit content from friends or contacts over social networks and asked them about how react

Summary

Introduction

While there has been extensive research into the potential impacts of viewing fictional violent media in videogames and motion pictures [1], the informal exchange and viewing of explicit real-world violent footage is heavily under-researched, yet potentially highly problematic [2]. Viewing real-world footage of shootings or bombings on news media can initiate a “cycle of distress” and worry [3], but we know very little of the impacts of viewing explicitly violent real-world footage in an entirely uncensored way via online social networks. Anecdotal reports and media stories indicate that exchange and consumption of explicit violent imagery and video footage may be a normalised, peer-accepted cultural practice that some individuals enjoy as “entertainment”, but that others are passively exposed to, via receipt of unsolicited content from peers. Public Health 2020, 17, 4296; doi:10.3390/ijerph17124296 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph

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