The Role of Digital Skills in Adolescent Sexting: An Exploratory Study

Dr. Michaela Šaradín Lebedíková; Prof. David Smahel; Dr. Hana Machackova

doi:10.5281/zenodo.15571073

Authors

Dr. Michaela Šaradín Lebedíková Interdisciplinary Research Team on Internet and Society, Faculty of Social Studies, Masaryk University, Jostova 10, Brno (Czechia)
Prof. David Smahel Interdisciplinary Research Team on Internet and Society, Faculty of Social Studies, Masaryk University, Jostova 10, Brno (Czechia)
Dr. Hana Machackova Interdisciplinary Research Team on Internet and Society, Faculty of Social Studies, Masaryk University, Jostova 10, Brno (Czechia)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15571073

Keywords:

Quantitative Analysis; Digital Media; Media Literacy; Digital Skills; Sexting; Adolescents

Abstract

Adolescents need to be equipped with skills to foster healthy sexual development. We argue that this idea must be extended to digital skills, nowadays needed to engage in digitally intimate behaviors, such as sexting, where the role of digital skills remains scientifically underexplored. Building on the integrative digital skills framework and advancing on existing research, we explore the relationship of technical (i.e., privacy protection), communication (i.e., safe online interaction), and content production (i.e., ability to edit images) skills with the expected and unexpected receiving and sending of sexual messages. Data were collected using a survey with a sample of 2,953 adolescents (12–17 years old, 48.1% girls) from Estonia, Italy, and Finland collected in 2021; we analyze these relationships using multinomial logistic regression. The results show that communication skills are not related to sexting, technical skills do not decrease the likelihood of receiving unexpected sexual messages, and content creation skills increase the likelihood of all sexting types. While digital skills are crucial, they do not automatically translate into safer sexting behaviors. Instead, a more nuanced approach is needed in education and policy, ensuring that adolescents learn not only how to use digital tools but also how to apply them in ways that promote healthy sexual development and minimize risks. Our study challenges traditional risk-based perspectives on sexting and underscores the need for comprehensive digital literacy frameworks that integrate both protective and expressive aspects of adolescent online sexuality.

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The Role of Digital Skills in Adolescent Sexting: An Exploratory Study

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