Sexual self-disclosure in cyberspace among Taiwanese adolescents: Gender differences and the interplay of cyberspace and real life

This study explored adolescents' sexual self-disclosure in real life and cyberspace, as well as gender differences of sexual self- disclosure in cyberspace. There were 115 male and 92 female adolescents who participated in this pretest and posttest survey. In general, the depth of sexual self- disclosure in real life was greater than in cyberspace, but the breadth of sexual self-disclosure in both real life and cyberspace was equivalent. The cross-lagged panel analysis indicated that adolescents who were willing to self- disclose sexual topics in real life also self-disclosed them more in cyberspace, and vice versa. Furthermore, sexual self- disclosure in both disclosing environments was mutually predicted by each other. The findings also indicated that cyberspace might not be a substitute channel of compensatory gratification for sexual self-disclosure in real life. As for gender differences, the breadth and depth of sexual self-disclosure in male adolescents were greater than in female adolescents, in both real life and cyberspace. Male adolescents tend to be more active in Internet sexuality than females. However, female adolescents' sexual emancipation in cyberspace is not evident in Taiwan. Possible reasons, implications, and limitations of the findings are discussed.