Social Networking Sites As Tools For Sexual Perversion Among Students Of University Of Nigeria, Nsukka

The use of online social networking tools like blackberry messenger, face book, 2go, Nimbuzz, yahoo messenger, etc, continues to increase rapidly among all age groups and segments of the society, presenting new opportunities for the exchange of sexual information as well as for potentially unsafe encounters. This study using the survey research design and hinged on questionnaires and personal interview as instruments, explored the influence of social networking sites as tools for sexual perversion among students of University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN). Anchored on the technological determinism and uses and gratifications theories, the study found out that social networking tools actually contribute to UNN students sexual perversion and that there is an increasing adoption of the use of these tools, especially black berry messenger, 2go and facebook in that order. The study also discovered that majority of the students do not consider contents on these sites as being offensive. The study recommended that the use of SNSs should be regulated and regulators should device ways of detecting, exposing and punishing anybody found exchanging sexually explicit or implicit content or engaging in online sex. Keywords: Sexting, sexual perversion, social networking sites, Online- Offline contact, Nigeria