Sexting

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is a growing trend among children and young people to take indecent photographs of themselves (and sometimes even of friends) to send on to each other or post in public places. This could be on the internet for example Facebook or by sending the photos to each other on their mobile phone. Sending images in this way is known as 'sexting'. Information from child abuse and online protection Agency (CEOP) suggest that this practice prevalent among young people.

Sexting, where people send photographs and sexually explicit text messages to titillate them and perhaps increase the likelihood of a sexual relationship, is a fairly new phenomenon. The internet has made the act of unfaithfulness much easier and though sex and unfaithfulness is now only a keyboard away, the goal for many seems to remain physical, face to face to contact, at least in sexual relationships. Obviously plenty of people lie to try starting cyber- relationships with no interest in actual human contact.

Sexting was one of the topics that we decided to do because majority of teenagers are affected by it and we thought it would be a great idea to do a piece on sexting. By doing research I found out teenagers often feel peer pressured when it comes to sexting, they feel afraid to say no because they don't want to disappoint the person. Some teenagers enjoy sexting because they think it’s fun and flirtatious but yet not knowing that it’s illegal.

I think that people often feel like they can say things in texts that they would feel to embarrassed to say in person or even talking on the phone. So people sort of "let loose" and cross personal boundaries and standards that they would normally keep. This can lead to setting themselves up to do things that they would never have seriously thought about doing had the sexting not occurred. Like sleeping with someone they hardly know or engaging in sexual behavior that they are not comfortable with but that they went along with in sexting in order to turn the other person on. 
 

Some people think there's nothing a wrong with it if two people are in a committed, loving relationship and they are just having fun. But random sexting can lead to pretty bad situations, especially if you're a young person and things get out among friends & other people you know. I disagree I honestly think regardless if his your boyfriend it’s still risky and pointless because what are you going to gain out of sending a naked picture?