Sexting motives and sexting behavior among emerging adults in Malaysia during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown

Abstract Sexting behavior is a contemporary form of sexual expression where people can send, receive, and exchange sexually suggestive content online. The COVID-19 pandemic lockdown has greatly exposed emerging adults to sexting behavior. The present study aimed to examine the level of engagement in sexting behavior and the sexting motives (intimacy, enhancement, self-affirmation, coping, peer pressure, partner approval) among emerging adults in Malaysia during the pandemic lockdown period. Men and individuals in a relationship were previously observed to have reported a higher engagement in sexting. Therefore, the present study also investigated the differences in gender and relationship status in sexting behavior. A cross-sectional quantitative study was adopted to recruit 252 emerging adult respondents (M age = 22.84, SD age = 2.05, females = 53.1%) through a purposive sampling method. The descriptive statistics indicated that nine in 10 emerging adults sexted and that an independent t-test depicted men and individuals in relationships being more likely to engage in sexting behavior. The hierarchical linear regression too showed that sexting motives of intimacy, enhancement, peer pressure, and partner approval contributed to a higher level of sexting behavior. Overall, the results may serve as resourceful input for future revisions and implementation of sexual reproductive health education.