Tech | February 25, 2009 | 14 comments

Is the "sexting" panic overblown?

source: http://jezebel.com/5159617/teen-girl-panel-sexting-panic-is-overblown

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abbym0308
We've been hearing loads about an alleged "epidemic" of "sexting" among teens. People are in a tizzy (aka media panic) about the fact that teens send one another sexually explicit texts and picture messages -- reports say it may be as many as one in five teens are effected by this phenomenon. But according to this panel discussion with actual real life teen girls, this panic may be blown way out of proportion. What do you think? Is it the media once again making a mountain out of a molehill?
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14 comments // Is the "sexting" panic overblown?

  • GatorMonkey
    • 0
      GatorMonkey  

    • I think being harrassed to the extent this poor girl was would be enought o push anyone over the edge. Yes, kids need to learn there are consequences for their actions, but punishing the kids who pushed her to this is a big part of it too.

      We all make bad choices. But did she REALLY do something that deserved harrassment to the point where she was afraid to leave her home? NO.

    • 3 years ago
  • Ares
    • 0
      Ares  

    • Yawn. That story is sad, but there were some more significant issues at play if she killed herself over it. Maybe the outcry shouldn't be to charge these kids with child pornography, but for teens to just stop sending nude pictures of themselves! If you don't send some one nude pictures, then you can't get embarrassed over it!

    • 3 years ago
  • ZombiePhil23
    • 0
      ZombiePhil23  
    • Image

    • The image was blurred and the voice distorted, but the words spoken by a young Ohio woman are haunting. She had sent nude pictures of herself to a boyfriend. When they broke up, he sent them to other high school girls. The girls were harassing her, calling her a slut and a whore. She was miserable and depressed, afraid even to go to school.

      And now Jesse Logan was going on a Cincinnati television station to tell her story. Her purpose was simple: “I just want to make sure no one else will have to go through this again.”

      The interview was in May 2008. Two months later, Jessica Logan hanged herself in her bedroom. She was 18.

    • 3 years ago
  • GatorMonkey
    • 0
      GatorMonkey  

    • I dont know. Someone said something about "what because we didnt have txting then." but the reality is kids are getting far more, erhm, saucy, over the years.

      a friend who teaches high school was attempting to have a conversation about the economy. She stopped to ask a student to sit properly.

      Instead of listening the student looked at her friend and went, shoot, i bet in this position he'll really be able to hit my spot.

      Im sorry. But at 15 I was not disrespecting teachers or discussing sex positions in the middle of class.

      Rather, we were discussing whether or not we were having it and wondering what the hype was about.

      In my day (oh god, im old?) guys had NO idea what they were doing when we were teens. Now it seems like they start so young that they're where we were at in college by sr year. Multiple partners, "experience" etc.

      THAT is what is not ok. And its only worse because this gives kids some sense of a pseudo maturity and a false sense of reality. I know so many teenagers that think they know whats up and have no problem talking smack to an adults face (yes of course there is always a bit of that growing up). No respect for anyone because they think they're grown and ready for the real world. Then when they get there, they falter.

      Sit next to a group of teens at a restaurant or something one day and just listen to what they say. I guaruntee you'll cringe. And im only in my mid-late 20s

    • 3 years ago
  • Ares
    • 0
      Ares  
    • GatorMonkey:

      I don't know, the age at which many adolescents have their first sexual experiences has been dropping steadily for a while now. There's certainly a lot to consider regarding their physical development, but unfortunately the stringency with which parents raise their children is depleting all to quickly, so mental maturity just isn't keeping pace.

      It's natural for kids to be curious about their bodies, and the other sex's bodies (for the purpose of this point, I will be ignoring homosexuals, don't go bananas on me) and as long as they're being safe, I'm OK with it.

      As far as "sexting" goes, kids will learn at the speed of a text message how quickly regret and embarrassment can ensue.

    • 3 years ago
  • Phoenix234
    • 0
      Phoenix234  
    • GatorMonkey:

      i understand what your saying but Sextexting isnt a problem when you consider that 14 year old is probaly the average for first time having sex. esp for women,

      ha ill admit when i was younger 16/17 i did sextexting with my long term partner at the time, and those texts were deleted after recieved. i didnt see the harm in it. i mean a older person 30+ would see it as childporn or something but 2 teens of a similar age doing it and keeping the pics private is hardly something make a fuss about.

      i mean if the article is about a women sending a text and the guy showing his friends i can understand becauses thats like childporn to any adults that look at it.

      its true that women and guys start all that area alot earlier, but thats how society has made us. guys have to have sex to prove there a alpha male and women need to have sex to feel grown up esp dating older men. ha and of course people so young wont know what there doing, i just hope there mature enough to use a condom when theyare experimenting.

      as humans are a curious race i dont think theres anyway to stop it?

    • 3 years ago
  • poptart_invasion
  • Phoenix234
    • 0
      Phoenix234  

    • exactly aslong as they dont share the pics to others or online wheres the harm.

      if there sleeping with each other etc whats the big deal?
      legal sex at 16 etc.

      now if the guy was 17+ and she was 13 i could see a problem.

      but most of the time it wont be.

    • 3 years ago
  • benfreckle916
  • unimatrix0
    • 0
      unimatrix0  

    • this is about old people getting "generation gapped" (Neuromancer reference)

      Each new generation finds something to freak the older generation out.

      And as always, the panic is overblown. Just another example of Xian perversion informing the mainstream.

    • 3 years ago
  • nazbags
    • 0
      nazbags  

    • This reminds me of the jelly bracelet scandal a few years ago - not as many teens as the media reports are doing it, but seriously guys, none of them should be

    • 3 years ago
  • Phoenix234
    • 0
      Phoenix234  

    • underage porn? ha been honest i dont see a 16 year old sending a 16 year old a pic of there Breasts as childporn. aslong as that pic doesnt go on the net.

      been honest here, if legal sex is at 16 why is showing your bits via txt worse then getting naked and risking getting Stis and pregnancy?

      its been blown out of proportion simple as.

      as a parent would you rather have your son sending pics of himself to women or sleeping with them?

    • 3 years ago
  • ClareW
    • 0
      ClareW  

    • Of course some people are taking this too far and making a mountain out of a molehill, but at the end of the day this is underage porn. plain and simple.

    • 3 years ago
  • dirtyemowords
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