With the rise of popular social media apps like SnapChat and Kik,
more and more teens are becoming curious and interested in sexting. Sexting is
when you send a nude photo, semi-nude photo, or sexually explicit
message to someone via a text message or social media message. This is a
very dangerous thing for teenagers to do and can lead to a ton of
negative consequences. Read the tips below to find out why you should
not be sexting anyone.
1. Sexting a crime.
Sexting is
against the law and has lifelong consequences. If you are under the age
of 18 and you send a sext message to someone, you could potentially be
charged with distributing child pornography because you are sharing a
photo of a minor who is nude or partially nude. This charge can go on
your permanent record, or even worse, it can land you time in jail.
If
you receive a sext message of someone who is nude or partially nude,
and you share it with others, or you post it on the internet, you can be
charged with distributing child pornography too because you shared the
photo.
So, if you do receive a sext message from
someone, the best thing to do is to delete it. Never share it with
others, because if you share it, you are joining in on the crime.
Some
teenagers have even had to register as sex offenders due to their
involvement with sending and receiving sext message. When someone is
registered as a sex offender, they go on the national sex offender registration list
which means that anyone can google your name and see that you are a
registered sex offender. If you are on that list, you cannot live near a
school or child care facility, and being on this list also makes
finding a job more difficult.
2. Your photo will probably be shared.
Most
teenagers are impulsive and many can’t keep a secret. So, it’s very
likely that the sext that you send with that “For your eyes only”
message will get shown or shared with somebody else. If your sext
message gets shared, be prepared for some huge emotional turmoil and
pain because these situations usually don’t turn out good. There have
been cases where people’s reputations were ruined after sending a sext.
People start to look at you differently and they begin to question your
character. Sometimes sexting can also lead to bullying
because the pictures get shared over and over again while others laugh
and make jokes about them. If you want to guard your reputation, and
avoid the embarrassment and shame from being taunted about a photo, it’s
best that you don’t send them.
3. Sexting can block you from opportunities.
Nowadays employers
and colleges turn to google to find out information about prospective
people who they are going to hire or accept into their university. When
someone googles you, you want them to get the best representation of
you. However, if there is a sext message floating around on the
internet about you, it’s likely that the employer or college is going to
see it. Many teens have missed out on scholarships, jobs, and other
opportunities due to negative sexually explicit images of them being on
the internet. Don’t let this be you.
4. Sexual predators, pedophiles, and kidnappers oh my!
There
are a lot of sneaky, scary people on the internet who are lurking
around looking for teens to take advantage of. When you share nude or
seminude sext messages, you are making it easier for these types of
people to reach out to you because they look at those pictures as an
invitation. Many teens have been tricked by pedophiles online who pose
as young good looking people. They meet up with these people thinking
that they are going to have a safe outing, but then they end up being
kidnapped, raped, sold to sex-trafficking, and sometimes they have even
been killed. If you want to stay safe online, avoid opening the doors
to this type of activity by not sending or sharing any photos or
messages of a sexual nature.
Sexting is illegal and unsafe. Guard yourself and your reputation by not participating in this dangerous trend.
By Keisha Howard
Teen Advice Expert
