by Stephanie Cole
In recent media, much has been made of the practice popularly known as “sexting.” The practice is notoriously difficult to define; basically it’s the sending of any manner of sexually suggestive material from a mobile phone. This could be anything from a flirtatious text message to a nude photo. The latter is what receives the most sensational media attention.
News and entertainment media have focused so heavily on the practice of visual sexting that it appears to be some sort of epidemic among young people. Late last Month, The New York Times published an extensive profile of a sexting incident as part of their series on cyber-bullying.
The case profiled featured an eighth grade girl, who, after breaking up with her boyfriend, found that a nude photo she had sent him had spread throughout the school. This incident highlighted the dangerous interplay between visual sexting and child-pornography when minors are involved. In this case, law enforcement chose not to charge the children with a felony.
It’s important to be aware that the media exaggerates most “epidemics.” It’s incidents like this that whet the media’s appetite of sensation, but actual studies show that among 12-17 year olds in the United States, only four percent have ever sent a sext. But once faced with the facts, what are we to do with incidents where visual sexting does occur, and has a harmful effect?
In my opinion, sexting is nothing particularly new. It is simply another manifestation of sexual experimentation among young people. Much has been made of a supposed technological revolution that has dramatically altered the way we interact socially. But people who fall victim to the downsides of technology remain potential victims of similar actions, with or without the necessary technology.
As a middle school student of the early 2000’s, I witnessed patterns of behavior that could have led to sexting had the technology been available. The idea that a middle school is a hotbed of sexually inappropriate behaviour is an exaggeration. But pre-teens and young teenagers are particularly venerable to the effects of media sexualisation. In my school, popularity was partially influenced by a girl’s perceived sexual maturity. Just as the statistics on sexting show that less teens participate in the practice than is popularly perceived, I’m sure that most of the girls at my school where not as sexually mature as they behaved. But the media they were exposed to–and that I was exposed to–told us that we needed to be sexually mature to be liked.
At a young and impressionable age, the messages media sends to girls and boys have more power than ever. That sexting does occasionally take place amongst eighth graders is not okay. It may not be an epidemic, but it is happening, and it can cause harm. But the media should be aware that by constantly discussing the practice, they could be promoting it amongst young people, too. They should also keep in mind the other messages they are sending to young girls and boys that would cause them to think sending a visual sext is a good idea.