یونس شاقلانی

Given the important role of cyberspace in shaping the sexual awareness of Generation Z, understanding how they engage with this space is essential. At the same time, the current educational system lacks a formal and structured approach to sex education. As a result, sexual learning largely takes place in informal settings, particularly in cyberspace, which offers both opportunities and risks. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the lived experiences of Generation Z regarding informal sex education in cyberspace. This study used a qualitative approach with a phenomenological design. The research population consisted of Generation Z individuals aged ۱۵ to ۲۵. Purposive sampling was applied, and ۱۹ participants were selected. Data were collected through unstructured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings show that participants discussed their attitudes toward sexual issues, which influence their daily lifestyles and ways of engaging with sexual topics, along with various emotional experiences. They also referred to different aspects of the content they follow on digital platforms and their efforts to assess the credibility of this content. Learning resources and models related to sex education among Generation Z reflect the quality and necessity of such education, as well as the context and process of its delivery. Key influencing factors—including internal and external supervision, the role of the family, resources, and tools—were identified as major components of informal learning experiences. The results also indicate the influence of social and cultural structures and the challenges caused by the lack of structured sex education on the sexual learning of Generation Z. In addition, patterns of sexual learning and the effects of the timing of education and exposure to sexual topics on the understanding of relationships were identified. Overall, the findings suggest that informal sex education in cyberspace provides Generation Z with an important opportunity to access information and satisfy natural curiosity; however, without a clear framework, such learning remains fragmented. The final impact on sexual understanding, attitudes, and behaviors depends not on cyberspace itself, but on how it is used, the type of content accessed, the timing of exposure, and users’ ability to analyze information.

Given the important role of cyberspace in shaping the sexual awareness of Generation Z, understanding how they engage with this space is essential. At the same time, the current educational system lacks a formal and structured approach to sex education. As a result, sexual learning largely takes place in informal settings, particularly in cyberspace, which offers both opportunities and risks. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the lived experiences of Generation Z regarding informal sex education in cyberspace. This study used a qualitative approach with a phenomenological design. The research population consisted of Generation Z individuals aged ۱۵ to ۲۵. Purposive sampling was applied, and ۱۹ participants were selected. Data were collected through unstructured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings show that participants discussed their attitudes toward sexual issues, which influence their daily lifestyles and ways of engaging with sexual topics, along with various emotional experiences. They also referred to different aspects of the content they follow on digital platforms and their efforts to assess the credibility of this content. Learning resources and models related to sex education among Generation Z reflect the quality and necessity of such education, as well as the context and process of its delivery. Key influencing factors—including internal and external supervision, the role of the family, resources, and tools—were identified as major components of informal learning experiences. The results also indicate the influence of social and cultural structures and the challenges caused by the lack of structured sex education on the sexual learning of Generation Z. In addition, patterns of sexual learning and the effects of the timing of education and exposure to sexual topics on the understanding of relationships were identified. Overall, the findings suggest that informal sex education in cyberspace provides Generation Z with an important opportunity to access information and satisfy natural curiosity; however, without a clear framework, such learning remains fragmented. The final impact on sexual understanding, attitudes, and behaviors depends not on cyberspace itself, but on how it is used, the type of content accessed, the timing of exposure, and users’ ability to analyze information.