By
definition from the ASCD, sexting is considered to be the ‘exchange of sexual messages or
images’ and ‘the creating, sharing and forwarding of
sexually suggestive nude or nearly nude images’ through mobile
phones and/or the internet. In
a society driven by the convenience of technology, the act of sexting itself is
not necessarily the shock factor; but rather the ages of the "sexters" that is shocking.
In
a compilation of statistics conducted by The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, The Pew Internet &
American Life Project and the Cox Communications Teen Online & Wireless
Safety Survey on GuardChild; 11% of young teen girls ages 13-16 have admitted to sending or
posting nude or semi-nude photos/ videos of themselves. Though there are many theories surrounding the cause of this rapid age decline, the most popular theory is the influence of the media.
Melissa Emmons, a 36 year old mother from West Allis, WI shared her thoughts on the matter. "I have a 14 year old daughter who has grown up with technology her entire life, she is very concerned with fitting in and I'm worried that will lead her down the wrong path."
As technology advances, the ability for these teens to engage in sexting has increased dramatically. There are now apps designed to hide the content on an individual's mobile device. These apps can make it appear as though all hope is lost for parents like Melissa who attempt to monitor their children's phone use.
Two students at UW- Green Bay, Aaron Hepp and Emily Seideman both acknowledge that sexting has become a problem among younger generations, however have differing opinions on the severity of the problem. Aaron says "I just don't think it's right... Kids that age should be enjoying their childhood, not acting like grown adults." Aaron also says that he believes technology and the media are enabling kids to act this way. Emily had a different take on the situation however, she said "Kids are growing up faster than we did because they are growing up in a totally different world. I think they are going to do what they want, and we should be educating these kids instead of just telling them its wrong."
Sexting is not a new concept, in a survey conducted by the American Psychological Association in
2015, over 80% of respondents reported sexting in the past year. With mainstream media promoting sex, sexuality and sexting for marketing revenue purposes, the main component in combating this act is open communication and education.
Taylor-
ReplyDeleteYou did a really good job writing this story. To me, sexting is horrifying in itself. Now, there are websites created to "get back at your ex", which is where they share those photos online for the rest of the world to see. Scary stuff.
This was an excellent topic and has a lot of newsworthiness. There is a lot of impact here because parents with children need to know that this is becoming a problem. I think a lot of the problem with sexting also comes from all the celebrity "leaked" nudes that happen.
ReplyDeleteWonderful job! As Andrew said, your story is very newsworthy! It's a horrible reality that many parents are dealing with these days! You covered the story professionally, and included multiple opinions!
ReplyDelete