Speaker
Description
Social Media Usage and Openness to “Sugar Relationships”
Jessica S. Ehlers; Norbert Mesko
Institute of Psychology, University of Pécs
Sugar relationships represent a contemporary iteration of transactional relationships characterized by sexual interaction and companionship. Within, an individual possessing resources, commonly referred to as a "sugar daddy" or less frequently as a "sugar mama," offers material compensation, such as monetary remuneration or similar, in exchange for the sexual companionship provided by a typically younger partner, known as a "sugar baby." Social media platforms have increasingly become spaces where individuals engage in various forms of interaction and expression, including sugar relationships. TikTok, with its short-form video format and widespread popularity among younger demographics, has provided a platform for discussing and even normalizing sugaring arrangements. Users can share experiences and perspectives on sugar dating, contributing to the broader conversation about non-traditional relationships and the intersection of intimacy and financial support. We aimed to explore the associations between social media usage and a higher openness to participate in sugar relationships. For this purpose, we decided on a questionnaire-based study with the following questionnaires as pillars of the thesis: (1) Acceptance of Sugar Relationships for Young Women and Men Scale (ASR-YWMS), (2) Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), (3) Aspiration Index (AI), (4) Objectified Body Consciousness Scale (OBSC), (5) Multidimensional Facebook Intensity Scale (MFIS), (6) Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS). The data collection process is ongoing, utilizing an English-language questionnaire package with participants from multiple countries.
Keywords: sugar relationships, social media, TikTok, acceptance of sugar relationships
| Are you currently an Early Career Researcher? | Yes, I am still a student or have not yet received my Ph.D. |
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