This English voice, an acronym for sex (sex) and texting (writing, message), is used to name the increasingly widespread custom among today’s young adults of sending sexually explicit messages or photos via mobile phones. Researchers at the University of Michigan (USA) thoroughly analyzed the practice of sexting in 3,447 men and women, aged 18 to 24 years, and concluded that it is not a sexually risky behavior, but rather it is becoming a regular part of the courtship. “It’s just one of the ways that technology influences our lives, including sexuality and our sexual behaviors,” explained José Bauermeister, director of the Laboratory of Sexuality and Health at the University of Michigan and co-author of the work that was published in the year 2012 in the Journal of Adolescent Health .
In fact, their study suggests that those who practice it do not suffer from anxiety or self-esteem problems, in addition to the fact that sexting is usually reciprocal and usually occurs between romantic partners, who already have a relationship. According to the authors, the majority of negative experiences related to this practice occur among adolescents , a group that was not included in the study. “In the younger age groups, legality is a problem,” said Gordon, who also warned that these users are in a “very different phase of their sexual development” than those interviewed.
Sexting and cyberbullying
One of those possible negative experiences, and perhaps the most worrying, associated with the practice of sexting is that, when sending an intimate photo or video, a threshold is crossed without turning back that exposes the person to blackmail, revenge, harm to reputation and virtual harassment.
This risk exists even if the practice is carried out with a trusted person, since the leaks of these very personal recordings can occur after the simple theft of a mobile phone.
A paradigmatic example was the case of Tiziana Cantone, a 31-year-old Italian girl who ended up committing suicide by not being able to bear the insults, memes, ridicule and other humiliations received after the diffusion, by her ex-partner, of an erotic video in which the victim appeared.
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Tips for safe and responsible sexting
When it comes to sexting and to avoid future problems, a series of basic precautions can be taken. To begin with, make sure that the recipient is fully trusted and is not going to misuse the material. In addition, both the sender and the receiver should have a firewall installed on their devices to prevent the entry of viruses and malware.
For greater security, it would be best if the video could not recognize the identity of anyone, neither by the face nor by other elements that may be identifying. Of course, disable geolocation in the metadata. And you have to avoid public or open Wi-Fi when sending and receiving files.
It is also convenient to always review the material, not send anything ‘crazy’ and make the decision to share that intimate content in a thoughtful, calm way and, of course, without external pressure of any kind.
