By Zainab Richardson | Staff Writer
Scroll through social media, and suddenly a video that was never meant to be sexual takes on sexual undertones. This happens so often that many users have started to become desensitized to it.
Food content is a clear example. You might watch a video to learn a new recipe, but all of a sudden, the person making the food starts biting their lip or arching their back suggestively.
Nothing feels normal anymore. There is an underlying sexualization of everything, even though it is completely unnecessary. That’s the problem — people should be able to scroll through social media without suggestive content being forced on them.
This trend creates several issues. For one, it makes people more self-conscious about what they say or how they say it. Someone might ask when you’ll arrive, and you respond, “I’m coming.” A simple answer suddenly draws reactions or awkward interpretations. The same applies to words like “mommy” and “daddy” — terms people should be able to use for their parents freely, yet someone is side-eyeing you for saying it.
Another big effect is hookup culture and dating. College already serves as a time of self-discovery, when people learn their boundaries. But when social media sexualizes everything, it blurs the line between what should be seen as normal and what becomes sexualized.
This shift can complicate everyday conversations and takes a mental toll. People may feel like they must constantly monitor their words, tone or body language to avoid misinterpretation. Eventually, people start to feel drained. Conversations that should feel easy and relaxed carry an underlying tension and restraint.
This does not mean sexual expression is inherently wrong. The issue arises when people overuse it, especially in spaces where it does not belong. Social media platforms and their algorithms push out more content like that and reward it with likes and views rather than censor it. As a result, oversexualization not only becomes normalized but also appears acceptable.
Users should push back by engaging more thoughtfully online and refusing to reward content on unnecessary sexualization.
