Sexting
Sexting is the sharing of sexually explicit messages and pictures via digital means. (Davidson, 2014). The need to be accepted among peers can be greater than the fear of sending an explicit message to friends or strangers.
Why do teenagers engage in such a harmful act? How does this type of behavior affect teenagers? Why is this becoming an acceptable form of communication? The answers below explain why a teenager may using sexting to communicate online.
Intimacy
"girls overwhelmingly sext to facilitate romantic, intimate relationships and to maintain a boy’s attention." (Davidson 2014)
Acceptance
"Teens sext to compete for friends, attention from their peers, social status, and power in their schools and communities." Davidson 2014)
Expression
"A small number of girls sext to express their sexuality, that is, initiating or avoiding actual sexual intercourse." (Davidson 2014)
"Researchers surveyed 606 teens ages 14-18 and found that approximately 20 percent of the teens said they had sent a sexual image of themselves via cell phone. (Strassberg, McKinnon, Sustaíta, Rullo, 2017)
The Affects
Many teens engage in sexting without knowing the ramifications. The consequences
include damage to reputation, legal problems, and damage to self esteem.
Self Esteem
Emotionally sexting can take a toll on a person, especially if it backfires and gets into the wrong hands. Many teens don't think they're going to get caught. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/teen-angst/201207/the-dangers-teen-sexting
Reputation
sexting can compromise reputations. Not just social reputations but digital reputations can take a hit. Once a photo is out, there's no way of knowing how many people have saved it, tagged it, shared it, etc. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/teen-angst/201207/the-dangers-teen-sexting
Legal
In 2011, 21 U.S. states passed legislation related to sexting. In 2012, at least 13 states so far are considering bills or resolutions aimed at "sexting".https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/teen-angst/201207/the-dangers-teen-sexting
Raychelle Cassada Lohmann
"On the brighter side, we still have about 70-80 percent of teens making good decisions when it comes to sexting..Parents, please reach out to your teens and create an environment that
allows them to let you into their life."