Conference Promotes Safe Digital Connections Among Young People

Conference Promotes Safe Digital Connections Among Young People

The conference on Safe Surfing: Gender, Sexuality, and Digital Connections Among Young People organised by the South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) Chair in Gender and Childhood Sexuality, Professor Deevia Bhana, brought together postgraduate students and academics to explore how digital technologies intersect with gender and sexuality in the lives of young people.

Digital technologies have become a fundamental part of young people’s lives and play a critical role in shaping their experiences related to gender and sexuality.

The conference shed light on the pleasure associated with digital expression and connections but also addressed the challenges, including issues of violence, revenge porn, harassment, and abuse. In particular, it highlighted concerns about image-sharing practices, sexting, and the posting of selfies and girls’ heightened vulnerability to sexual shaming and sexual risk.

The two keynote speakers, Associate Professor Emmanuel Mayeza and Dr Ndumiso Ngidi addressed aspects of this important topic. Mayeza focused on the consumption of pornography on cell phones and the risks girls face regarding sexual violence in educational settings while Ngidi used innovative visual methods to explore heterosexual dynamics and the ways they intersect with spaces, objects, and bodies.

Postgraduate students including Ms Wendy Nhlangulela and Ms Zandile Mhlongo presented their research findings. Nhlangulela focused on girls’ online activities and the concept of “sexy selfies”. Mhlongo delved into sexual double standards and cultural practices that regulate female bodies through online interactions. Mr Melusi Dlamini, an academic at Rhodes University, discussed the themes of masculinity, sexuality, and young men’s narratives about pornography.

Bhana’s recently published book, Girls Negotiating Porn in South Africa (Routledge, 2023) provided a foundation for many of the discussions. Her presentation emphasised the need to shift from prevailing adult and policy narratives that often silence or deny young people the right to engage with their own sexuality. She called for a more inclusive, gender-fair, and respectful digital landscape and argued that engaging with young people from their own perspectives is essential to achieving this goal.

Words: NdabaOnline

Photograph: Supplied