Sexting, power, and patriarchy: Narratives of sexting from a college population

Abstract

This qualitative study explores the sexting experiences of college-aged students with attention to gendered understandings and motivations of sexting. We gathered data on the decision-making process, relational contexts in which sexting occurred, body-image management, and perceived outcomes of past experiences. Participants in this study were asked to describe two experiences of sexting behavior in short vignettes, and then they were prompted to respond to additional questions about the vignette and sexting. A total of 342 vignettes were read and analyzed using discourse analytic strategies of reading for positioning, construction of discourses, and implied actions.