Let's talk about you and me
Let's talk about sext
Taking it back to the 90s Salt N' Pepa hit song for a second, but really- let's talk about it.
Sext.
No, it wasn't a typo, sexting is actually a word. The legal definition of sexting is the act of sending sexually explicit images and videos through mobile phones, and according to www.uslegal.com it can be a punishable offense if a person is found in possession of or the distribution of child pornography.
With young teens, and even older people for that matter, sending a quick sexy photo can maybe seem enticing to a perceived partner. Maybe they want to be attractive, or feel sexy, so they don't see the harm in sending a sexually suggestive photograph of themselves.
This is not a new thing, before cell phones people were taking pictures on digital cameras. Before digital cameras, people used Polaroids. While those are not good, cell phones and social media have provided such an easy and intimate way to connect to almost anyone instantly, sexting has now become a huge topic for concern. That "innocent" photo that no one will know about can very quickly escalate to something everybody is talking about.
I don't feel that enough teenagers know the devil they are dancing with when it comes to sexting. How do you know that person you send a picture to isn't going to send it out to their friends? What about months or years later down the road that picture you even forgot you took turns up again? It's the internet. Things will come back to haunt you.
Worse case scenario- What if it ends up on social media for all your friends to see?
Yes, it does happen.
There are countless news stories where someone has posted a nude picture of another online and it was visible for all to see.
According to CBSDC, just last month a 16-year-old Virginia girl was charged with child pornography for taking nude selfies and posting them to twitter. To read more on the article, click here.
The issue I have with sexting is I feel that young teenagers don't realize the many repercussions they could face by sending even one picture. In the day of the social age, the image you create of yourself online now will there for years to come.
According to www.dosomething.org, 22 percent of high-school age teens (ages 14 to 17) and 33 percent of college-age students (ages 18 to 24) have been involved in a form of nude sexting. Sending semi-nude or nude photos is more common among teens girls. 22 percent of teen girls report sending images of this nature, while only 18 percent of same-age boys have.
Before you click send, think about it. Is it worth it?
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