Sex and cell phones. These are two elements of a majority of lives of young adults. But should the sensitive and developing concept of sex be combined with texting, one of the most common and easiest ways of communication?
When looking at the possible consequences, it’s really not worth it just to get your rocks — or someone else’s — off a few times.
For argument’s sake, let’s say you’re a girl and your loving boyfriend wants you to send him just a couple pictures of your naked body, requesting you pay special attention to really capture a few special places on film. You’re unsure about this at first, but then you decide to send them because you love him, and with some encouragement from your man, you feel you should do something extra to prove it to him.
A few months later, you go through a messy breakup after you found out that he’s been showing these pictures to his friends. Eventually the picture leaks and someone’s parent sees it. You then get written up for the production of child pornography and your now ex-boyfriend and his friends get matching possession charges.
As nice as it would be for the authorities to let you off because you tell them that it was all in the name of love, love isn’t a defense against the law. Insanity, maybe, but not love.
Even knowing that they could face serious charges, boys and girls all over the world still send pictures of their genitalia accompanied with long messages of what they can’t wait to do to each other. This could happen because of many things.
Knowing that someone wants to see your body so badly is a self-esteem boost, and you may want to send a nude picture so that you can get positive feedback on your body. Maybe your partner guilts you into it, claiming that you would do it if you really cared. Perhaps you just want the attention, be it negative or positive.
In fact, there’s a certain “star” complex that many teenagers have, whether or not they register it as being a conscious want. With “sexting,” everyone, specifically young adults, is given the ability to be their own paparazzi. These individuals have the power to catch themselves in the most shocking situations, and chooses to share that rare and seemingly private information with the public.
The cell phone is the perfect way to share news. It gives almost instantaneous images, words or videos to whoever desires them. Once that data is sent, it can’t be called back. It can’t be edited and revised like a paper or the news.
And once your message is out there, it’s difficult, near impossible, to get it to go away, or even just to slow the speed at which the message travels.
No one can force anyone else to not send these messages, and I certainly can’t. I know many people who have sexted and there comes a point at which all one can do is advise them to be safe. Know to whom you’re sending these messages and know how sensitive the material is that you’re sending.
Young adults do things that could potentially ruin their lives, and when it comes to sexting, the individual is in charge of his or her own fate. Don’t doubt the power that hitting the “send” button can have.