Sexting: We Both Know What We Know
Sexting:
noun sex·ting \ˈsek-stiŋ\
the sending of sexually explicit messages or images by cell phone (Merriam-Webster)
When it comes to sexting, as Bryson Tiller would say, “Don’t.”
Yet, the youth of today will still do it — the fact of which is unavoidable. We have all been warned by teachers and parents not to do this, but most still do because the risks sound hollow to them. What’s the worst that could happen? they ask.
What do you consider the worst?
The fact of the matter is that adolescence is a period in time where many are going to be experimenting, liberating, and questioning themselves sexually. “Sexting” is byproduct of the current cyber-age where virtually (pun not intended) everything occurs online. Since it settle teenage curiosity, some would even argue that sexting is healthy. However, how healthy could something be when it could land both the sender and the receiver in hot water and even jail?
Pictures get out. What starts off as a simple exchange between those in relationships can quickly turn regrettable for everyone involved. Even though a snapchat only lasts ten seconds, remember that screenshotting a message can turn a lapse in judgment into permanent visual evidence.
Recently, the trend of “exposing” has picked up steam on social media websites such as Facebook and more commonly, Twitter. These accounts leak private pictures (known more commonly as nudes) and instigate rumors about students, most of the time them being girls. Several Twitter users have even popped up devoted to Worcester Public Schools students.
What begins as fun and games for a couple of ill-minded students does not end so simply. What you say and post is retainable forever, even if one deletes it. Police agencies are capable of unearthing your deleted posts since most social media posts are backlogged and archived. They never truly disappear. Evidence lingers like residue on your computer server.
As students, we tend to disregard the iSafe Web Safety videos that the school mandates we watch, but this is not a joke. Those who leak obscene material can be convicted on child pornography charges if the student in the picture is indeed a minor. Massachusetts state laws deem any crimes involving child pornography felonies. Not only does that mean you have to register as a sex offender for an extended period of time, but it also severely limits your job prospects once you leave high school. Sex offenders are considered near-pariahs in American society.
Here are the facts:
• “Possession of child pornography can be punished by up to two and a half years in jail, or up to five years in prison, or a fine of between $1,000 and $10,000, or by both a fine and time in jail or prison.”
• “Coercing or encouraging a child to pose naked or engage in sexual conduct in order to make a visual image and disseminating child pornography are punishable by ten to 20 years’ imprisonment, a fine of $10,000 to $50,000, or both.”
• “Disseminating obscene material to minors is punishable by up to two and a half years in jail, or up to five years in prison, or a fine between $1,000 and $10,000, or by both a fine and time in jail or prison.” (Mince-Didier)
Not only that, but for the people whose private photographs are leaked, it is embarrassing. It is often misogynistic since many of these targets are girls. It is a breach of trust. The list above listed the consequences for the perpetrators, but what about the victims? Consider the emotional and mental effects these actions have. Some are confident enough to ignore the rumors and unwanted attention they stir, but not everyone is. The taunting, bullying, and shame the victim could face are all deplorable. There are accounts are devoted to these things — degrading and shaming the bodies and self-worth of those who take these pictures. The toll they take is indescribable.
References:
Mince-Didier, Ave. "Teen Sexting in Massachusetts | Criminal Law." CriminalDefenseLawyer.com. NOLO. Web. 25 Feb. 2016.
"Sexting." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2016.