A Longitudinal Mediation Study of Sexting Motivations and Outcomes in Sexual Minority and Sexual Majority Emerging Adults

Abstract

Sexting—defined as the exchange of sexually suggestive messages via smartphones or other digital devices—has become a common behavior among emerging adults aged 18–29. This trend is particularly prominent among gender and sexual minorities, for whom sexting is often viewed as a normative and socially accepted form of expression. However, these populations also appear to face disproportionate mental health challenges associated with sexting. In a longitudinal online survey, 415 emerging adults (223 women, 171 men, 21 gender-diverse individuals) reported on their sexting behaviors, sexting motivations (autonomous versus controlled), and mental health outcomes across two time points, 6 weeks apart. Structural equation modeling revealed that gender and sexual minorities experienced significantly higher levels of internalizing (β = 0.60, 95 percent CI [0.23–0.97], p = 0.001) and externalizing symptoms (β = 0.69, 95 percent CI [0.29–1.08], p = 0.001) when engaging in sexually suggestive communication, compared to their majority peers. Furthermore, while sexting for autonomous reasons was linked to fewer internalizing symptoms among sexual majority youth (β = 0.12, 95 percent CI [0.03–0.22], p = 0.01), this protective effect did not extend to gender and sexual minorities. Therefore, sexting may carry different implications for gender and sexual minority youth compared to their majority peers, highlighting the need for tailored intervention strategies that account for these distinct experiences.