Sexting--Fun or Dangerous?
Parents, moralists and media are curently attacking Sexting, or sending nude, semi-nude or sexually-explicit images and videos of yourself over phone and the Internet. They're even going after cybersex, or sexually-explicit conversations in chat rooms. Naturally, the biggest concern is when it's done by "young people."
After all, didn't some 13-year-old girl commit suicide over it?
No. She wasn't a victim of sending nude photos of herself, she was a victim of vicious cyberbullying. People who could be helped with counseling for self-esteem issues brought on by hormonal changes and, often, non-supportive parents, need help. But they can get an easy release by harassing people online. After all, it takes no courage attacking someone who can't really attack you back (plant your attacks, then log off).
The old "sticks and stones may break my bones, but your dirty words can't hurt me" is a great philosophy to live by, but it doesn't reflect the reality that human beings are a social species.
But can't you get arrested? Yes. As we've reported here before, young people have been arrested and charged with promoting child pornography for sending pictures of themselves. The criminal and the victim become the same person.
But is this because they're victimizing themselves, or its this because of stupid laws? I think the latter.
In societies where public nudity is accepted, this sort of thing isn't a problem. Even hormonal teenagers don't get all hot and bothered by seeing each other naked because they see naked people on a regular basis. So it's the laws that need to change, not the behavior.
But what about those images being seen years later, say when you're looking for a job or running for political office? Ask Arnold Schwarzenegger if his posing nude in sexual situations stopped him from getting elected governor of the State of California.
Yes, it might be a problem right now, but in the future? Having posed nude and shared sexy images will be like smoking marijuana is now. The presidential candidate will say, "Yes, I sent nude pictures of myself in my youth, and wouldn't do that now. But now I want to focus on current issues...." Name me a recent president of the United States who didn't publicly say he smoked pot. There hasn't been one for decades.
Americans, like people in much of the world, freak out over things that are new. Until 1969, the "pornographic" Playboy magazine didn't even show pubic hair. Ironically, the family-oriented nudist magazines showed everything of men, women, boys and girls. Now, most people don't even consider those type of pictures to be pornography--oh, unless they're under the arbitrary age of 18, if they're sexually oriented nudity or semi-nudity and not just nudity, and if they're obscene, which no one has yet to adequately define.
Get over it, folks. Adolescents are horny, and they were horny before the Internet, television and Playboy. As a friend of mine here likes to say, America's teen pregnancy rate in the sexually-repressed 1950s was higher than in the sexually-explicit 1990s. The reason people keep looking for new porn is that what you've already seen gets boring. If you want to cut down on sexual foolishness and people getting so caught up in their hormones they don't think about what they're doing, expose them to as much sexual imagery as possible. It's really a turn off.
See a report at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34257556/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets?GT1=43001
And if you want to see a report about something that really is dangerous, texting while driving, see http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33920495/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/
Image is linked to http://www.nbcactionnews.com/media/lib/92/2/d/4/2d4b51e9-f837-4d86-afcd-92c5e04a1e21/Original.jpg No threat to its copyright is intended.
Comments
Here's my song,
The laws' too strong,
The laws are wrong,
The laws are wrong.
Posted by: MJ Lover | December 4, 2009 04:14 AM
Saw your blog on Wikipedia. Must say I agree. What's the big deal about letting people see you naked? So what? Prosecute nakedness but promote invading other countries and killing other people. Doesn't make sense.
Posted by: Prescious Dingo | December 4, 2009 12:32 PM
I think you're missing the point here. I agree, making teens who expose themselves into criminals is wrong. Sexually enticing another before marriage is a sin, not a crime. It shouldn't be a crime. But Jesus said that even if you commit adultery in your heart, it's a sin. James Dobson wrote that even masturbation is OK before marriage as long as you aren't thinking about another person. But sexually explicit photos definitely get you thinking sexual thoughts about another person, and are sin in God's eyes.
Posted by: Christian Andy | December 5, 2009 05:13 AM
Andy what about after marriage? And if people masturbate, they're going to be thinking about somebody.
Several years ago didn't they talk about how dangerous chat rooms were, like everyone who chatted was going to get killed or raped? It's all media hype.
Posted by: Marie Gilbert | December 7, 2009 02:15 AM
This is another case of people making a major case out of nothing. Don't you know everybody is guilty of something!
Posted by: Vernon Avaritt | December 7, 2009 02:47 PM
Answer: fun.
Posted by: Labial Dentist | December 8, 2009 03:52 AM
I can personally check all photos to see if they're appropriate. If you find any questionable photos, just send them to be and I'll check them out. Send them to fbi.gov and I'll see them.
Posted by: Dwayne Rogers | December 10, 2009 08:14 PM
People getting arrested for what they do with their own bodies. Hasn't anyone heard "If it harms none, do what thou wilt?"
Posted by: Wilson Frank Thomas | December 11, 2009 07:23 PM
Heh heh you said sex.
Posted by: B & B | December 12, 2009 05:47 PM
Funny Dwayne. Right Wilson, an it harms none, do as thou wilt.
Posted by: Marie Gilbert | December 19, 2009 03:24 AM
Everybody's guilty of something? That's an excuse? Try using that in court. "Well, your honor, you should let me go. After all, everybody's guilty of something."
But yeah, these laws are stupid.
Posted by: The Mighty George | December 20, 2009 01:34 PM
It's my body and I'll strip if I want to, strip if I want to, strip if I want to. You would strip too if it happened to you.
Posted by: Organism | December 27, 2009 05:41 AM
People should be able to do what they want with their own bodies. Strip if you want to!
Posted by: Marie Gilbert | January 1, 2010 06:34 AM
Excellent post. First time reading your blog, but I'm hooked, and I signed up through Google Reader.
Posted by: Andrew Pelt | January 4, 2010 04:07 PM
Shake shake shake
Shake shake shake
Shake your bootie--
Naked
Posted by: Rev. Bootie | January 5, 2010 12:43 PM