Virtual sexperience : the influence of online socialization on sexual attitudes of UPLB students from catholic high schools

Date

6-2022

Degree

Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts

College

College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)

Adviser/Committee Chair

Carson Jeffrey O. Cruz

Abstract

Comprehensive sex education is crucial in ensuring a happy and safe sex experience. However, the massive influence of the Catholic church in the country is seen as one of the barriers to the delivery of comprehensive sex education especially in Catholic schools (Nichols, 2020; Lasco, 2017; Austria, 2010; Palatino, 2010). With the status of the Philippines as the world's social media capital (Abella-Zeta, 2021), this study focused on the potential of social media as an information source for sex education, particularly on the interpersonal aspects of sex. This research explored the influence of online socialization on the sexual attitudes of UPLB students who graduated from a Catholic high school and are Catholic adherents. Through interviews, the study was able to identify different social media platforms and features that helped Catholic UPLB students learn about sexual pleasure and sexual consent, examine their reasons for using social media to gain such information, and how it influenced their sexual attitudes on sexual pleasure and sexual consent. The study also used media dependency theory (Ball-Rokeach & DeFleur, 1976) and sociocultural theory (Vygotsky, 1978) to show the interplay of information that came from their Catholic high school and social media. The findings showed that social media allowed Catholic UPLB students to gain a more progressive, self-aware, and empowered attitude when it comes to sexual pleasure and sexual consent. However, their prior attitudes towards these concepts were not erased or replaced, but rather expanded. The study was able to fill the knowledge gap on how interpersonal aspects of sex are being learned in a Catholic environment. Moreover, the study also revealed how learning can also take place through direct and indirect interactions on social media, as existing literature on online learning is focused on search engines and real-time communication.

Language

English

LC Subject

Sex instruction, Sex instruction--Philippines, Social media--Influence--Students, Social media and youth, Sex--Religious aspects--Catholic Church, Communication Arts Department of Humanities COMA 200

Location

UPLB Main Library Special Collections Section (USCS)

Call Number

LG 993.5 2022 M3 M56

Document Type

Thesis

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