We also thought these singles would be more likely to sext their romantic partners, even when their relationship wasn’t very committed. My colleagues, Michelle Drouin and Rakel Delevi, and I hypothesized that people who were afraid of being single or had dating anxiety and who were, at the same time, anxious or insecure in their attachment style would be more likely to sext. Do people sext because of relational anxiety? You might realize that relationships may not be trustworthy, not invest in close relationships, and avoid intimacy all together. If something you wanted emotionally or physically (like comfort) went unfulfilled, you might end up anxious about relationships as an adult. From that experience, you learned that relationships are safe and reciprocal, and your attachment anxiety is low.īut if your caregiver was not so attuned to your needs, was intrusive or inattentive, you might develop what is called an insecure attachment. That means you are comfortable with close relationships because your experience paid off-Mom or Dad was there when you were distressed or hungry or cold. If your caregiver was attuned to your needs and responsive, you will develop a secure attachment. It suggests that the way you related to your caregiver as an infant (and vice versa) shapes how you come to view relationships later in life. One of the major theories regarding relationships is called attachment theory.

So where does this relationship anxiety come from? So perhaps anxiety and concern about what your romantic partner thinks about you promote behaviors like sexting.Īs a human development researcher who studies how technology influences relationships, I wanted to understand if people who are anxious about dating or about what their partner thinks of them are more likely to sext. Some research suggests that people often engage in sexting after being coerced by romantic partners or to avoid an argument with their romantic partner. But according to my research, sexting is actually most likely to occur within a committed relationship. Why do people sext? Why do they send racy or naked photos or videos and sexually loaded texts?įor a short-term hookup, sexting might seem like a direct way to get what you want-or at least try to.

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