Study: Sexting is a form of "modern courtship", parents should not be worried

[IceForce]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/10808862/Sexting-is-new-courtship-parents-are-told.html

A study out of Australia has revealed that 'sexting' has become a common part of teenage life, with half of 15 to 18 year olds sending naked or semi-naked photos and videos of themselves via text message or internet.

If there are any parents here (or future parents), how do you feel about your teenagers sending sexually explicit messages and pictures?
Have you ever sent any yourself?

Some people are saying that this is a dangerous practice. While others are saying it's a safe way that teenagers can be intimate, without the dangers of STDs or teenage pregnancy.

Your thoughts on this?

 

[Colour Scientist]

It's not a big deal, I imagine most 15-18 year old would have been sexually active in one form or any other when I was that age.
If we'd had better phones, the same thing probably would have happened.

People just get antsy because it's not something that happened when they were kids, most parents would freak out at the thought of their teenager doing anything sexual in nature and I suppose there's the added risk of the photos getting spread around but I doubt that's too common.

I don't think it's particularly more or less dangerous than anything that's gone on before, teenagers will just be teenagers.

 

[Zhukov]

*shrug*

It's harmless enough, albeit tacky as hell. I mean hey, nothing epitomises sexy like a phone selfie of your tits, right?

Oh, the only thing is that there's the chance, a rather high chance, that the person you send the pictures to won't be the only one who sees them. In my late teens I was constantly getting other guys sticking their phones under my nose in order to show off the evidence of their latest conquest.

 

[Bertylicious]

The thought of sharing even semi-nude pictures of myself with anyone from my teenage community fills me with dread, even now. I guess this means modern youth is less up-tight?

That's got to be good. I was so uptight back then I could barely get out of bed.

 

[JoJo]

Eh, the risk of sharing and possible blackmail can't be underestimated, nor the legal issues. I don't know how other countries treat sexting but here in the UK, teenagers have actually been prosecuted under child pornography laws for sending indecent images of themselves to peers. This leads to the odd situation where the teenager was both the victim and perpetrator simultaneously.

I wouldn't say that it should be made legal, as I can't think of a way to do that without opening loopholes that could be exploited, but I think prosecutions of teens for sexting are not in the public interest and should be avoided in most cases. Teachers and parents should be the ones to deal with it, not the authorities.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Man I remember this one time in high school I sent a sexy text to a male friend by accident... that's when I learnt that the flying envelope animation in cell phones is a lie. THE MESSAGE HAS ALREADY BEEN SENT. You cannot stop it. YOU COULD NEVER STOP IT. Aaaaaaaaaah.

I felt so unclean afterwards.

 

[Vault101]

I'd be worried if I had a girl

because if those pics get spread around its not the GUY they'll be labeling a slut...*sigh* its not the sex part that bothers me but the double standard part

*shrug*

It's harmless enough, albeit tacky as hell. I mean hey, nothing epitomises sexy like a phone selfie of your tits, right?

Oh, the only thing is that there's the chance, a rather high chance, that the person you send the pictures to won't be the only one who sees them. In my late teens I was constantly getting other guys sticking their phones under my nose in order to show off the evidence of their latest conquest.

so sad

 

[Drummodino]

I don't really see it as a problem. While I've never sent any pictures of myself, I have "sexted" a girl I was sleeping with at the time (I was 18). There was nothing sinister or creepy about it, it was just a fun way to be intimate without actually being intimate.

 

[Hagi]

I'd be worried if I had a girl

because if those pics get spread around its not the GUY they'll be labeling a slut...*sigh* its not the sex part that bothers me but the double standard part

Slut won't be the word they use but I can assure you that if a guy's nude pictures get out and he isn't the most popular guy in school he's going to get bullied without much remorse.

OT: I don't think it's a smart thing to do, because whomever you sent them to has all the power to share them with whomever he/she wants.

 

[Esotera]

People in my year of both genders had these sort of pictures revealed to much embarrassment...so I guess the moral of the story is to be careful with who you share it to you and try to remain anonymous in the picture? I can't really see anything wrong with it as long as one person isn't exploiting another e.g. if there's a massive age gap

 

[Vault101]

More worrying is the fact that its another aspect of human life where technology is replacing the real thing, which is unhealthy in all kind of ways.

technology already replaced the real thing...its called a vibrator *ba-dum-tsh!*

I doubt looking at some bits on a phone is going to replace actual sex...I don't think much as changed here except the whole privacy/ruining ones life part

[quote/]
Thats not a double standard. It would just make the guy an asshole, not a "slut".[/quote]

I don't know how many teenagers share your morals....I remember something like it happned when I was in highschool and the guy (and subsequently all the people who had it and shared it) was not a factor in that story...it was a one woman show

 

[Vault101]

Well, it has for some people, but in any case, thats not what I was saying. I'm saying its replaced traditional courtship. See thread title, etc.

Courtship you say!? by jove!

[img/]http://www.crossmyt.com/hc/romance.gif[/img]

[quote/]
He's still an asshole, whether he got treated like one or not. Its not a double standard either way.[/quote]

umm...how the guy is treated has everything to do with weather or not its a double standard

yes its dishonest (and shitty) behavior, and I would hope most people (adults hopefully) would agree...

however as I said, when something like this happened the guy was not a factor in the narrative at all, no one asked "well wasn't sharing them wrong?" and as soon as it gets out of the realm of who knows the girl in question it becomes fair game, they don't think twice about sending/receiving those pics because she ceases to be a person (TBH I think a lot of us are guilty of this to an extent...I know I've shared a few pics of "neckbeards wearing fedoras")

maybe on their end they got a lecture about that kind of thing too...just as we were told not to send pics

 

[Ivailo Todorov]

I think it should only be done with someone you know won't spread them even if things go sour,it's like giving a knife that can only stab you to someone.Besides wasn't the Amanda Todd incident started by something like this,and we all know how that ended for the poor girl.

 

[Vegosiux]

Speaking as a former teenager, I just have to say the real thing is better.

I also think intimacy is a state of mind you have towards a person, not sending pictures of your genitalia to them.

 

[Chemical Alia]

I can't think of a poorer choice of a group to send naked photos of oneself to than "high school teenagers".

Maybe the Taliban? Still undecided.

 

[Lono Shrugged]

Sexting is as fun in your 30's as it probably is for teenagers. It's awesome. You are working or shopping for groceries and boom, sexy flirty text from someone special just for you.

Like anything to do with sex: discretion, moderation and good judgement are needed. Teens often lack many of these things due to being young and adults lack them from not learning as teens, so it's not really a surprise when people get hurt. Sexting is a fun little game to play with someone you are intimate with. They have dirty letters from hundreds of years ago between loving married couples so it's not a downfall of society or anything.

 

[Barbas]

I can't think of a poorer choice of a group to send naked photos of oneself to than "high school teenagers".

Maybe the Taliban? Still undecided.

Your future - or current - employers.[footnote]Please don't ask.[/footnote] Glad to be of service!

OT: If it makes them happy, they'll do it and it'll be very difficult to stop them, because they're teenagers. Still, they are leaving themselves open to blackmail, as has been mentioned, and we've all heard stories about the tragedies that take place for teenagers on Facebook alone. I think there was actually a "revenge porn" website floating around the internet some times ago, but I don't know if it's still operating...ah, there was probably more than one.

Speaking as a former teenager, I just have to say the real thing is better.

I also think intimacy is a state of mind you have towards a person, not sending pictures of your genitalia to them.

Agreed. Spongy and knobbly bits only go so far; sooner or later, people crave some sort of deeper, more meaningful companionship that they just can't get from sending pictures of their junk to one-another.