 "Photo: Austin Carpenter | Valley Star")
The erotic art of sexting has became a heated debate amongst parents, teens, and law enforcement.
American psychologist B.F Skinner once said, "The real problem is not whether machines think, but whether men do."
I couldn't agree more, especially when it comes to the brainless act of "sexting."
For those of you who don't know, "sexting" is the combination of the words "sex" and "text" to describe the act of sending sexually explicit and even pornographic pictures and messages via text message. The only required tool to "sext" is a cell phone with a camera and ability to receive text messages.
"It's okay to do it with someone you trust and are okay with," said Na'shea Brown, a registering Valley student. "Still you have to be really careful."
Many people don't think of the negative consequences that can come from "sexting." Consequences such as photos being leaked on the Internet or in public, jail time, expulsion from school, being labeled and registered as a sex offender and even violence or worse, suicide.
In May 2009 an Ohio teen killed herself after an ex-boyfriend forwarded nude photos of her to other teens. Vanessa Hudgens, star of "High School Musical" learned first hand the backlash of her stupidity, when her nude and erotic "sexting" photos surfaced in 2007, which she called "a lapse in judgement."
For some, "sexting" may be a "lapse in judgement," for minors, "sexting" is illegal. In every state it's considered child pornography; the distribution and receipt of such text messages is against the law. There have been court cases in Florida, Texas, Ohio and Pennsylvania which either the minor involved or the person receiving has had criminal charges filed against them. They are labeled as sex offenders and for a good part of the rest of their lives they must have a probation officer and register with the National Sex Offender Registry. A serious result for a momentary "lapse in judgement."
"It's necessary to have a warning, people don't realize the negative aspects [of sexting], I didn't even realize it until you brought it up," journalism major, Mordechai Friedman commented.
In order to combat the idiocy that is "sexting," one group, The Adolescence Pregnancy Prevention Campaign of North Carolina, is harnessing the same potential of text by allowing teens and young adults to text their Birds and Bees line with sex-related questions, while Thatsnotcool.com is running witty commercials featuring naked teens who speak about the reality and consequences of "sexting."
"Sending pics of privates is immature, the whole act is immature," laughed Rebecca Witt, psychology major. "It's disgusting and pointless."
Disgusting as "sexting" may be, it's a fad that according to Teen Research Unlimited, one in five teens participate in. With comedians like Wanda Sykes making light the issue of "sexting" and Ludacris' newest track called "Sexting," which features a monologue parody of the Tiger Woods scandal, I doubt that this is a fad that will soon dissipate. I do hope that more people will sext responsibly, and please, be over 18.
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