Nursing Department, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China.
School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.
Front Public Health. 2022 Sep 6;10:954674. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.954674. eCollection 2022.
Adolescence and emerging adulthood are critical periods for an individual's sexual identity development. The internet has become a primary avenue for gay identity exploration. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of the internet in Chinese young gay male's sexual identity development.
Qualitative interviews were conducted with 37 gay males aged 16 to 29. Data were analyzed using grounded theory methods.
Three categories of identity development in relation to use of the internet were identified: (1) , which includes verifying same-sex attraction and connecting the attraction feeling to gay identity through consumption of pornography, Tanbi (boy's love) materials, and searching for information online. (2) , includes interacting with the gay community to gain understandings of gay subcultures and make close gay friends, engaging in same-sex sexual and romantic relationship development through online group and interpersonal interactions. The internet practice impact on an individual's cognition and behavior by presenting same-sex sexual contact is normal and common, facilitating longing for a romantic relationship, and facilitating relationship development; and (3) , includes increasing self-acceptance of gay identity, gaining a sense of belonging in the gay community, increasing autonomy in sexual and romantic relationship development, and growing consideration of coming out to parents. Young gay males' coping efficacy was gained through the lessons learned from identity practice.
The findings indicate that an individual's internet practice facilitates gay identity confirmation, enriches identity practice, and promotes the transition from self-identification to identity disclosure and integration. Internet practice also threatens to young gay males' sexual risk behavior, emotional hurts from failed romantic relationships. Interventions including sexual identity education and healthy internet use strategies need to be developed tailored to the developmental characteristics.
青少年和成年早期是个体性身份发展的关键时期。互联网已成为探索同性恋身份的主要途径。本研究旨在探讨互联网在中国年轻男同性恋者性身份发展中的作用。
对 37 名年龄在 16 至 29 岁的男同性恋者进行了定性访谈。使用扎根理论方法分析数据。
确定了与互联网使用相关的三种身份发展类别：（1）认同，包括通过消费色情、Tanbi（男同性恋）材料和在线搜索来验证同性吸引并将吸引感与同性恋身份联系起来。（2）参与，包括与同性恋群体互动以了解同性恋亚文化并结交亲密的同性恋朋友，通过在线群体和人际互动发展同性性行为和浪漫关系。互联网实践通过呈现同性性行为接触是正常和普遍的，促进对浪漫关系的渴望，并促进关系发展，从而对个人的认知和行为产生影响；（3）接纳，包括增加对同性恋身份的自我接受，在同性恋群体中获得归属感，增加性和浪漫关系发展的自主权，并越来越考虑向父母出柜。年轻的男同性恋者通过从身份实践中吸取的经验教训获得应对效能。
研究结果表明，个体的互联网实践促进了同性恋身份的确认，丰富了身份实践，并促进了从自我认同到身份披露和整合的转变。互联网实践也对年轻男同性恋者的性行为风险行为、失败的浪漫关系所带来的情感伤害构成威胁。需要根据发展特点制定包括性身份教育和健康互联网使用策略在内的干预措施。
