Sexting and its Consequences


In modern society it’s obvious that technology has been evolving in ways we could have never imagined. Just recently the iPhone X was released and has face recognition; this would have never been even thought of in the 80s when people had to choose between the internet and a phone. While technology has been evolving so has the sexual behavior surrounding it. Recently, teenagers have become more sexually active and in turn have started using technology to continue to do this in new ways. Sexting has become very popular in the teen and young adult world. Amanda Lenhart states in her article, “Teens, Adults and Sexting” that “4% of 12 year olds sent/received sexts”, “20% of 16 year olds sent/received sexts”, and “30% of 17 year olds sent/received sexts”. While all this is happening, also “4% of cell-owners ages 12 to 17 have sent sexually suggestive images of themselves by phone; 15% of cell owners that age have received ‘sexts’ containing images of someone they know” (Teens). This is terrifying when we think about little kids, kids who aren’t even in high school yet are being shown the body parts of people they know. While that is inappropriate on so many levels, when is sexting deemed “okay”? I have a little cousin who is about 12 and to think of her being shown these things makes me sick. I also have a cousin who’s a freshman in highschool and I don’t like that thought either. We were taught as young kids in a sex ed class that sex is something personal and should be taken seriously. I don’t think this is happening because little kids are doing this, maybe to feel more grown up or maybe to see what it’s like because they’re curious. While being curious is okay and perfectly natural, this is the wrong way to come about it. Kids aren’t being warned of the danger they’re putting themselves in. I read of a senior girl who sent the pictures to her boyfriend when she was 14-15 y/o so he wouldn’t break up with her (Lenhart, ‘Teens, Adults and Sexting’). She may have believed this was okay, like most couples around 9th and 10th grade (Lenhart, “Teens, Adults and Sexting”). However, legally, the act of sending nudes is against the law. One example of this incident was in Florida. An 18 year old was listed as a sex offender for sending his 16 year old girlfriend’s nude pictures to family and friends (Lenhart, “Teens and Sexting”). In my opinion, the age difference of the dating is no problem. My parents are 8 years apart, so them being 2 years apart is no issue. However, sending sexual pictures at that age is not. These are children we’re talking about. They’re not even old enough to drive or be out of school, yet they’re sending pictures of their bodies to other people. They’re even being registered as sex offenders for doing something they didn’t know wasn’t okay. Children need to be taught the consequences of their actions and what could happen if they continued that behavior.


Lenhart, Amanda. “Teens, Adults and Sexting: Data on sending/Receiving sexually suggestive
nude or nearly nude photos by Americans.” Pew Research Center: Internet, Science &
Tech, 22 Oct. 2010,
ually-suggestive-nude-or-nearly-nude-photos-by-americans/.
Lenhart, Amanda. “Teens and Sexting.” Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech, 14 Dec.
2009, www.pewinternet.org/2009/12/15/teens-and-sexting/#fn-485-4.
“Teens and Sexting.” Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech, 14 Dec. 2009,
www.pewinternet.org/2009/12/15/teens-and-sexting-2/.

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