| Abstract [eng] |
Maybe Enough of Self-Education? The Sexuality (Self-)Education Experiences of Lithuanian Generation Z in the Era of Social Media is a master's thesis, utilizing theoretical approaches related to sexuality socialization, the digitalized Generation Z, and the use of social networks. Sexuality education in this work is understood as extremely important for personal human life and the structure of society as a whole. Reviewing the existing field of academic research and the relevance of the topic in Lithuania, it was assumed that in the absence of official sexuality education in the country and the lack of certainty about discussions on these topics within families due to the still prevalent sense of shame and stigmas in society, the digital Z generation independently develops its sexual literacy in the digital space, particularly with the help of social media. Understanding the importance of the perspectives and experiences of the representatives of the Z generation themselves, the research raised the problematic question – what are the experiences of sexuality education of the Z generation in the era of social media? To answer this question, 19 semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with representatives of the Z generation, and the collected data were analyzed according to the theoretical frameworks outlined in the work, allowing an examination of the experiences of young people's sexuality education at four levels of sexuality socialization: in school, within the family, among peers, and in the digital space (social networks). The analysis of the empirical data confirmed the assumption made in the introduction of the study that adults do not play a role in young people's sexuality education: sexuality remains a sensitive topic in families, which parents avoid and delay discussing, and in Lithuanian schools, knowledge about sexuality is provided in a fragmented and delayed manner, with content focused only on the physiological aspects of sexuality, while the social aspects of sexuality, such as relationships, gender understanding, violence, and safety, are relevant to the representatives of the Z generation. Under such circumstances, the digitally literate Z generation develops its sexual literacy independently with the help of social media. The hypothesis raised from the findings of this study is that the risks of young people's sexual self-education could be reduced by formal comprehensive sexuality education in schools, which, considering the experiences of the Z generation analyzed in this study, would be divided by topics, adapted to the different ages of young people, starting from early adolescence, provided gradually, and with varied content. Also, the uniform preparation of teachers throughout the country and their objectivity, the creation of safe and comfortable environments for students, and the application of attractive learning methods are extremely important. Such education could not only reduce the risks of young people's self-education but also become an additional, accessible, authoritative source of information for all. The aim of the research, analyzing and interpreting the insights and perspectives of the Lithuanian Z generation, to understand what the experiences of this generation's sexuality education in the era of social media are, considering the aspects of school, family, peers, and digital space, has been achieved. The findings and conclusions of the study give a voice to the representatives of the Lithuanian Z generation and allow their perspective on the realities and possibilities of sexuality education to be heard. |
