"Why is this person writing this stuff on Facebook?" Female College Students' Perceptions of Sexual Reference Displays on Facebook

Social networking sites (SNS) are popular; adolescents and young adults can display sexual content. The purpose of this study was to explore female college students' perception of sexual reference posts on Facebook. Female students aged 18-24 years were recruited at two large state universities. The study and analysis took place from September 2012 to March 2016. Focus group questions were directed to discussion of sexual reference displays, discussions recorded and qualitative analysis performed. In total, 23 women participated in 5 focus groups. Three major themes emerged: (1) Perceived reasons for posting a sexual references (2) Participant's initial reaction or interpretation when reading sexual reference posts. (3) Perceived consequences of posting sexual references. Findings provide insight into females' perceived link between online and offline sexual behavior.