In the rapidly evolving digital landscape where social media plays a dominant role in shaping adolescent experiences, a groundbreaking study from The Ohio State University sheds new light on how different types of social media platforms impact early teen sexual health behaviors. This rigorous investigation, published in the renowned journal Health Psychology, delves into a nuanced comparison between informational social media sites such as YouTube and TikTok, and interactive peer-oriented platforms like Snapchat and Instagram. The findings have profound implications for educators, parents, and policymakers aiming to promote healthier sexual decision-making among young adolescents.
The study focuses on a critical developmental window in early adolescence, specifically targeting seventh and eighth graders from a large urban school district in the Midwest. Researchers worked with 2,691 students, who were all enrolled in a comprehensive sexual health education program utilizing the nationally recognized “Get Real” curriculum. This curriculum, delivered by trained health educators, encourages the development of social and emotional skills essential for healthy relationships and responsible choices, highlighting refusal skills, condom negotiation, and understanding sexual intentions.
By conducting five surveys throughout the seventh and eighth grades, both before and after students participated in the sexual health sessions, the researchers were able to longitudinally assess the influence of social media use on various sexual health outcomes. The students reported their likelihood of using eight popular social media platforms to access information related to sexual health or human sexuality: TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and Google. These platforms were strategically categorized into interactive, peer-focused sites versus informational content-driven sites.
One of the central findings is that adolescents who sought sexual health information from more informational platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Google displayed healthier behaviors in terms of condom negotiation and exhibited no increase in risky sexual intentions. In contrast, reliance on social media platforms emphasizing peer interaction—Snapchat, Facebook, Reddit, Twitter, and Instagram—correlated with diminished refusal skills, lowered ability to negotiate condom use, and an increased intention to engage in sexual activity during early adolescence.
This divergence highlights the complex role that social media environments play in shaping adolescent perceptions and behaviors. The interactive platforms, with their focus on rapid peer exchanges and user-generated content, may inadvertently propagate misinformation or social norms that encourage riskier sexual behavior. Conversely, informational platforms tend to offer curated, expert-driven, or peer-reviewed content, promoting more factual understanding and healthier decision-making frameworks.
The study rigorously controlled for a variety of confounding variables including students’ academic performance (GPA), parental education levels, race and ethnicity, sex and gender identity, self-reported honesty in survey responses, and an inherent predisposition toward sensation-seeking behaviors. These controls strengthen the validity of the conclusions, underscoring that the relationship between social media platform type and sexual risk behaviors remains significant beyond these potentially influential factors.
Eric Anderman, co-author of the study and professor of educational psychology at Ohio State, emphasized the importance of recognizing the heterogeneity within social media use. “Adolescents have better outcomes when they rely on sites where they can get accurate information rather than sites where they are mostly hearing from other teens,” he explained. His comments highlight a critical insight: the medium and nature of content consumption profoundly influence adolescent development and risk-taking behaviors.
Moreover, the study illuminates a concerning trend in adolescent exposure to and acceptance of misinformation. In anonymous questions posed during the “Get Real” sessions, students revealed misconceptions typical of peer-driven social media narratives, such as believing that pregnancy cannot occur during the first sexual encounter. This misbelief underscores the urgent need for credible information dissemination channels to counteract inaccurate but widespread formative influences found on many interactive social networks.
The implications extend beyond educators to parents and guardians, who hold a vital role in guiding young teens’ media literacy and critical engagement with digital content. The findings advocate for open communication about the nuances of social media platforms, dispelling the myth that all social media is uniformly beneficial or harmful. Parents are urged to foster conversations that encourage skepticism of peer-generated claims and promote reliance on verified information sources for sexual health knowledge.
This research was supported by funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Population Affairs, reflecting a significant investment in understanding public health threats and opportunities in adolescent development within the context of digital media usage. Collaborators included specialists in educational psychology and public health from Ohio State University and Nationwide Children’s Hospital, as well as faculty from several universities who contributed expertise in adolescent health research.
Technically, the study employed robust data and statistical analysis methodologies, leveraging longitudinal survey data to map behavioral trajectories over critical developmental periods. This multifaceted approach allows for stronger inference on causative relationships rather than mere correlations, vital to informing future intervention strategies.
In sum, the study reframes the conversation around social media and adolescent sexual health: it is not the use of social media per se that may undermine adolescent well-being, but rather the type of platforms used and the nature of content encountered. Informational social media platforms emerge as valuable tools that can complement traditional sexual health education, while interactive peer-based platforms pose potential risks that warrant careful navigation and oversight.
As digital landscapes continue to evolve, this pioneering research underscores the need for continued vigilance and tailored educational interventions that help young adolescents harness the benefits of accurate, science-based information while mitigating the risks of misinformation propagated through peer interactions. The path forward in adolescent sexual health education must adapt fluidly to this complex digital reality, ensuring that young people are empowered with knowledge and critical thinking skills essential for their healthy development.
Subject of Research: People
Article Title: Informational versus interactive social media usage and sexual risk during early adolescence
News Publication Date: 15-Sep-2025
Web References:
https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/hea0001546
https://ehe.osu.edu/educational-studies/directory?id=anderman.1
https://www.getrealeducation.org
References:
Anderman, E. M., Lee, H. J., Allsop, Y., Sheng, Y., & Irwin, M. K. (2025). Informational versus interactive social media usage and sexual risk during early adolescence. Health Psychology. Advance online publication. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/hea0001546
Keywords:
Adolescents, Sexual Health, Social Media, Risk Behavior, Information Accuracy, Peer Interaction, Sexual Education, Media Literacy, Get Real Curriculum, Digital Health, Early Adolescence
