“THE TALK”An Exploration of How Social Media Transforms

Television of Sex Communication

Magaela Bethune, MA, MPA(@magaela)

2015 Annual Youth + Tech + Health ConferenceSan Francisco, CA

#YTHLIVE

@magaela | (Bethune, 2015)

BACKGROUND

• New media – electronic digital media that provide on-demand access to content anytime, anywhere, on any digital device 1

• Adult internet & social media usage increasing• 87% of all American adults are internet users 2

• 74% of adult internet users are social media users 3

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ADULT SOCIAL MEDIA USERS 3

• Digital media is an important socializer 4, especially for millennials• “Digital natives” 5

• Presents opportunities for digitally-facilitated discourse that, otherwise, may be difficult or impossible

Use

r Gro

up

% Adult Internet Users in Group Who Are Social Media Users

$75,000+

$50,000-74,999

$30,000-49,999

Less than $30K/yr

College+

Some college

High school grad or less

65+

50-64

30-49

18-29

Women

Men

Adult internet users

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

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THEORY

Socialization Theory

Social Ecological

Model

Media Practice Model

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SOCIALIZATION THEORY

Socialization Theory• Socialization – a process by which an individual

learns through various agencies the distinctive patterns that fit an individual within a culture or subgroup in society 6

• Social cognitive theory – through agentic transactions, people are both producers and products of social systems and learning environments 7

Socialization Theory

Social Ecological

Model

Media Practice Model

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SOCIAL ECOLOGICAL THEORY 8

Socialization Theory

Social Ecological

Model

Media Practice Model

Societal

Organizational/ Communal

Relational

Individual

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MEDIA PRACTICE MODEL 9

Socialization Theory

Social Ecological

Model

Media Practice Model

Identity

Selection

Interaction

Application

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Conventional (Old) Media

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Social (Digital/New) Media

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RESEARCH DESIGN

• Research Aim• Explore how social media enhances discourse around sexual health communication

• Research Question• How do Twitter users engage in discourse around sexual health communication

during an episode of Blackish?

• Blackish, S 1 Ep 2 “The Talk”

@magaela | (Bethune, 2015)

“THE TALK”Episode Synopsis

• The show begins with Dre (Anthony Anderson) barges into his son’s bedroom and is startled to find him masturbating.

• To his disappointment, Dre (Anthony Anderson),finds that Bow (Tracee Ellis Ross) has already given Andre Jr. (Marcus Scribner) “the talk” because she thinks he’s too uptight to do it.

• He decides to rectify matters by giving Jr. his own version of “the talk.”

• Dre soon finds himself regretting initiating “the talk” when Jr. starts to pester him with non-stop questions about sex.

@magaela | (Bethune, 2015)

“THE TALK”Episode Synopsis

• The show begins with Dre (Anthony Anderson) barges into his son’s bedroom and is startled to find him masturbating.

• To his disappointment, Dre (Anthony Anderson),finds that Bow (Tracee Ellis Ross) has already given Andre Jr. (Marcus Scribner) “the talk” because she thinks he’s too uptight to do it.

• He decides to rectify matters by giving Jr. his own version of “the talk.”

• Dre soon finds himself regretting initiating “the talk” when Jr. starts to pester him with non-stop questions about sex.

@magaela | (Bethune, 2015)

“THE TALK”Episode Synopsis

• The show begins with Dre (Anthony Anderson) barges into his son’s bedroom and is startled to find him masturbating.

• To his disappointment, Dre (Anthony Anderson),finds that Bow (Tracee Ellis Ross) has already given Andre Jr. (Marcus Scribner) “the talk” because she thinks he’s too uptight to do it.

• He decides to rectify matters by giving Jr. his own version of “the talk.”

• Dre soon finds himself regretting initiating “the talk” when Jr. starts to pester him with non-stop questions about sex.

@magaela | (Bethune, 2015)

“THE TALK”Episode Synopsis

• The show begins with Dre (Anthony Anderson) barges into his son’s bedroom and is startled to find him masturbating.

• To his disappointment, Dre (Anthony Anderson),finds that Bow (Tracee Ellis Ross) has already given Andre Jr. (Marcus Scribner) “the talk” because she thinks he’s too uptight to do it.

• He decides to rectify matters by giving Jr. his own version of “the talk.”

• Dre soon finds himself regretting initiating “the talk” when Jr. starts to pester him with non-stop questions about sex.

@magaela | (Bethune, 2015)

@magaela | (Bethune, 2015)

METHOD

• Data• Publicly available tweets during two viewings of the episode• Inclusion criteria – Contains #thetalk OR #blackish OR #blackishABC or

“blackish”

• Analysis Plan• Iterative coding• Frequency analysis thematic analysis

@magaela | (Bethune, 2015)

PRELIMINARY FINDINGSFrequency Analysis

• 13,862 publically available tweets• 247 “re-tweets”• Tweets across time

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FINDINGSFrequency Analysis

• 570 tweets containing “sex,” “sexual” or “sexuality”

• 1205 tweets containing “talk,” “communicate,” “speak” OR “tell”

@magaela | (Bethune, 2015)

FINDINGSFrequency Analysis

• 570 tweets containing “sex,” “sexual” or “sexuality”

• 1205 tweets containing “talk,” “communicate,” “speak” OR “tell”

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FINDINGS… Well, Lookie Here!Frequency Analysis

603 tweets containing “triceratops”

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PRELIMINARY FINDINGSThematic Analysis

• Length of time of “the talk”• Way too long• No talk at all

@magaela | (Bethune, 2015)

PRELIMINARY FINDINGSThematic Analysis

• Length of time of “the talk”

• Level of comfort engaging in “the talk”• Funny• Awkward

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PRELIMINARY FINDINGSThematic Analysis

• Length of time of “the talk”

• Level of comfort engaging in “the talk”

• Gendered/racialized patterns

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PRELIMINARY FINDINGSThematic Analysis

• Boundaries

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PRELIMINARY FINDINGSThematic Analysis

• Boundaries

• Sources of sex communication

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PRELIMINARY FINDINGSThematic Analysis

• Boundaries

• Sources of sex communication

• Utility of media

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IMPLICATIONS

• Social media networks offer a viable platform for facilitating and engaging in sex communication

• Social media facilitates conversations that cut across contexts wherein youth are socialized

• Interventions targeting health communication and literacy can leverage digital and social media

@magaela | (Bethune, 2015)

FUTURE RESEARCH DIRECTIONS

• Limitations• Relatively few Twitter users among internet users (23%)• Other forms of SM engagement 10

• Future Research• Further analysis – content analysis and grounded theory approach• Explore the role of digital media as a source of sexual socialization

@magaela | (Bethune, 2015)

References

1. The intersection of youth, technology, and new media with sexual health: moving the research agenda forward. Allison, S., et al. 3, 2012, Journal of Adolescent Health, Vol. 51, pp. 207-212.2. Pew Research Center. Internet User Demographics. Pew Research Center. [Online] January 2014. http://www.pewinternet.org/data-trend/internet-use/latest-stats/.3. —. Social Networking Fact Sheet. Pew Research Center. [Online] January 2014. http://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheets/social-networking-fact-sheet/.4. Arnett, J. J. Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood. s.l. : Prentice Hall, 2000.5. Digital natives, digital immigrants. Prensky, M. 5, 2001, On the Horizon, Vol. 9, pp. 1-6.6. Mass communication and socialization. Hyman, H. H. 1973, Public Opinion Quarterly, pp. 524-540.7. Social cognitive theory of mass communication. Bandura, A. 2002, Media Effects: Advances in Theory and Research, Vol. 2, pp. 121-153.8. Toward an experimental psychology of human development. Bronfenbrenner, U. 7, 1977, American Psychologist, Vol. 32, p. 513.9. Adolescent room culture: Studying media in the context of everyday life. Steele, J. R. and Brown, J. D. 5, 1995, Journal of Youth and Adolescence, Vol. 24, pp. 551-576.10. A typology of social networking sites users. Brandtzaeg, P. B. and Heim, J. 1, 2011, International Journal of Web-Based Communities, Vol. 7, pp. 28-51.

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THANK YOU!... Questions?

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