Making Money on OnlyFans? A Study on the Promotion of Erotic Content Platforms on Social Media and their Influence on Adolescents.

The sexualization of digital culture has raised concerns about its impact on adolescents' psychosocial development, especially in relation to gender dynamics, self-image, and opportunities for empowerment. However, there is a notable gap in studies on how adolescents perceive and interact with sexua...

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Publicado en:Sexuality & Culture Vol. 29; no. 6; pp. 2727 - 2752
Autores principales: Anciones Anguita, Kristel, Checa Romero, Mirian
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Springer Nature Dec2025
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Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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        atl: Making Money on OnlyFans? A Study on the Promotion of Erotic Content Platforms on Social Media and their Influence on Adolescents.
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          Anciones Anguita, Kristel
          Checa Romero, Mirian
        affil:
          https://ror.org/04pmn0e78 Departament of Educational Sciences, Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid, Spain
          Madrid, Spain
      su:
        OnlyFans (Web resource)
        Adolescence
        Human sexuality
        Social media
        Psychosocial development theory
        Gender
        Self-perception
      sug:
        subj:
          OnlyFans (Web resource)
          Adolescence
          Human sexuality
          Social media
          Psychosocial development theory
          Gender
          Self-perception
      keyword:
        Communication and Culture Cultural Studies Education Specialist Studies In Education
        Focus groups
        Language
        OnlyFans
        Raunch culture
        Sexuality
      ab: The sexualization of digital culture has raised concerns about its impact on adolescents' psychosocial development, especially in relation to gender dynamics, self-image, and opportunities for empowerment. However, there is a notable gap in studies on how adolescents perceive and interact with sexual content creation platforms. This study explores how OnlyFans' social media promotion influences young people, presenting erotic content creation as an accessible and empowering source of income, especially for females. Drawing on sociocultural theories, it investigates how repeated exposure to sexualized media and the promotion of such platforms contributes to the internalization of gender norms and the commodification of intimacy. A qualitative focus group design was used with 164 high school students, aged 12–16 years, from both urban and rural areas in Guadalajara, Spain. A reflexive thematic analysis was applied, addressing three key aspects: (i) knowledge of the platform, (ii) media overexposure and (iii) consumption of sexual content. The results indicate that adolescents are aware of and access OnlyFans, despite being minors. In addition, they perceive the platform as an attractive professional alternative, especially for girls who meet the canons of beauty. Some participants justified their interest by appealing to sexual agency and economic benefits, minimizing risks such as cyberbullying or exploitation. The normalization of sexual objectification and commodification of intimacy reinforce sexist attitudes and perpetuate gender inequality. This study highlights the need for comprehensive digital education, increased regulation and family strategies to promote healthy attitudes towards sexuality.
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