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Consequences of sexting far outweight benefits

Hanna Romano
Journalism, junior
When approaching the matter of “Sexting has consequences just like the real thing,” I disagree with the attitude towards the act. Sexting does have severe consequences. The reader should be aware of the negativity, rather than the “fun” achieved from sexting. It may be true that a majority of students engage in sexting, but that does not make it acceptable. Just like the “real” act of sex, it also has consequences and those need to be expressed daily.
However, the editorial does briefly mention the exposure that can arise from sending explicit pictures and messages, but that is the extent of the consequences mentioned. Not only is the fear of pictures being exposed a worry, but for some, there is legal action that might occur. A CNN article,
“Amish man in Indiana accused of sexting girl, 12,” displays how easy it is to get caught in the act. One may never know who is on the other side of the phone receiving their nude messages. The police were able to seize the man’s cell phone and uncover hundreds of explicit messages between him and the girl.
Children have cell phones today at a younger age than ever before. A CNN article, “Teens who ‘sext’ more likely to be sexually active,” explains that when a group of teens were asked about the subject, a great majority suggested that they know a friend who has sexted. It is definitely important to express the negativity associated with sexting because of the growing number of children that are getting cell phones and are not being responsible with them. By stating that sexting is “a blast if you do it right” you fail to demonstrate to our younger population that sexual intercourse and explicit activities are not acceptable. The consequences need to be visible.
There is no formal way to stop sexting, but it is imperative to indicate the negativity. The free-spirited, light-hearted approach does not justify this issue because it is much more than sending non-committal forms of sexual activity. It is a matter of legal and explicit content being exposed all over without any regard of who might be viewing them. A CNN survey found that 15 percent of teens get sexual text messages, and in a CNN interview with Bill Albert of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, he stated, “Things go from private to global in a nanosecond in this world.” Every piece of information and explicit pictures sent through cell phone and Internet-based technologies could be sent everywhere without the person knowing.
While the editorial came to the conclusion that sending explicit pictures and messages should be based on how much you trust a person, is it really a smart decision in the end?

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