Sex Through Text: Teens and Their Virtual Sex Lives
Written by Elaine Wilson, Posted on , in Section Teens & Tweens
What Is Sexting, You Ask? Where Have You Been? Ask Your Kids
There probably isn’t a single teen in America that has not heard of the term “sexting.” Unfortunately, soon, there probably won’t be a teen who hasn’t actually participated in sexting.
The problems here—besides the obvious instances where children are sending naked pictures of themselves to others—are growing, and many teens have been subject to “cyber-bullying” through sexting. In the viral world that we live in, texts and sexts can be shared with dozens of strangers within minutes. That’s just through the phone. If the image is shared on Facebook, Twitter, or any number of websites, it can be viewed by thousands in no time, leaving the subject a victim of social trauma. A 13-year-old girl jumped to her death in London when a video of her performing unwilling sexual acts was spread around her school. Another 13-year-old girl in the United States hung herself in her bedroom closet after a topless photo of her circulated around her middle school and the local high school.
Children are committing suicide over issues that belong in an adult world. 13-year-olds should not be having sex, or propagating it. They should not be exchanging naked pictures of themselves instead of riding their bikes or swooning over the latest Disney tween movie. When I was 13, I was still playing Barbies with my little sister.
And yet, it’s no doubt that sex and its many forms have permeated the world of our youth in the 21st century. Just recently, my own almost-thirteen-year-old informed me that she was “dating.” Her and her “boyfriend” were only a couple at school where it just meant that they sat next to each other at lunch and said hi in the hall. As unenthused as I was about this, I did not voice immediate objections, hoping to maintain communication with my daughter. Thankfully, that and my careful talks worked. She informed me just two weeks later that she had “broken up” with the young man, as he had asked a friend of hers to text him inappropriate pictures.
Kids Participating In Sexting Can Be Disconcertingly Young
Since when did 12-year-old boys think that it is socially acceptable to request naked pictures of their peers? The sexually saturated culture we live in is no doubt a huge factor. But just how many teens and tweens are sexting?
According to a study from the University of Utah: “Nearly 20 percent of participants (18 percent of male students, 17 percent female students) reported having sent a sexually explicit image via their cellphone, with nearly twice as many saying they had received such a cellphone picture” (Nearly twenty percent of teens admit to sexting, nbcnews.com).
Pornography laws also come into play, in many states. Teens can be charged with possession and distribution of child pornography, when the photos they have are of other minors. The punishment can include fines and even prison time.
Both boys and girls—these children who are trying to become adults too quickly—need their parents and teachers to be open and honest with them about the consequences of sexting and the cyber-bullying that often follows.
The fact is that there's a values issue among today's youth. The only way to circumvent this kind of totally avoidable behavior is to make sure that teenagers have a healthy sense of self-worth, self-respect, and that they understand the potentially perilous consequences of circulating those kinds of images of themselves among others. The digital detritus of the current generation is poised to be a potentially tragic lesson for all subsequent generations, that the web never forgets, and that our peers can be cruel.
