A new Pew Research study revealed that "sexting" among adults are increasing as more turn to technology to satisfy sexual needs. This in turn has positive and negative effects on the romantic relationships.
Researchers from the Princeton Survey Research Associates International led by researcher Amanda Lenhart, director of Teens and Technology, interviewed 2,252 American adults aged 18 and above via phone call to know how they utilize technology to manage life and emotional intimacy in their relationships.
After analyzing the responses of the participants, they found out that majority of the participants, about 72 percent; believe that digital technology has no impact on their romantic relationships. Among those who believe that it has an impact on their relationship, 10 percent said that it has major impact, while 17 percent said that it only has a minor impact.
From those who responded that their marriage or partnership is directly impacted, 74 percent considered it positive while 20 percent said that it was mostly negative.
The young adults aged 18 to 29, on the other hand, reported an increased intimacy with their partners. However, some also said that it brought tension in their relationships.
Aside from the impact of technology to their relationships, the participants were also asked about sending, forwarding, and receiving sext messages. They found out that sexting is more prevalent now compared in 2012, SFGate reported.
Sexting is the coined term for the act of sending sexually explicit messages and pornographic images and videos, through mobile phones.
Among the married and single participants who have mobile phones, nine percent admitted to have sent a "sext message" at least once - a three percent increase from six percent in 2012.
The rate of those who have received a sext message from someone they know, which are mostly single, increased from 15 percent in 2012 to 20 percent, while those who have forwarded a sext message, remained at three percent.
