Sexting has been a major contender in news lately, but does anyone really know what it is?  It’s not sending flirty or graffic texts to someone else.  Sexting is sending photos or videos of yourself via phone, instant message, or web camera in various states of undress or doing sexual acts.  MTV took a deep look into what happens when sexting takes a bad turn.

Besides being completely inappropriate, it’s rather common among today’s youth.  Being constantly connected to the Internet through computers and phones, peer pressure extends past the school hallways and infects every aspect of kids’ lives.  The pressure to sext is intense, especially among high-schoolers.  Unfortunately, sending explicit pictures can be end horribly for those involved.

Ally was only 16 when her ex-boyfriend said he’d get back together with her if she sent him a nude photo.  Feeling pressured and desperate, Ally took a topless photo with her two clothed best friends.  Once her ex-boyfriend received the photo, he sent it to everyone on his contact list which included half of the school.  Ally was completely humiliated.  Her whole family had to go to therapy as a result.

In addition to the humiliation a sext can cause, any time you take an explicit photo it can end up on the world wide web.  Phones are connected to the Internet and are susceptible to being hacked.  Photos are stolen and sold on the black market all the time.  The laws can’t keep up with sexting either and what can start out as harmless can land you in federal court.  If the person in the sext is under the age of 18, then the picture can be considered child pornography.  If you take the picture you can be accused of producing child pornography, if you send the picture you can be accused of distributing child pornography, and if you keep a picture, you can be accused of possessing child pornography .

Philip learned this lesson the hard way.  His ex-girlfriend had sent some sexts to him when she was 16 and he was 17.  After a particularly bad fight with her a year later, Philip made the angry mistake of sending the photos to his entire email address book.  The problem was that Philip was now 18 and his ex was still a minor.  Philip was charged and convicted of distributing child pornography and is now a registered sex offender.  He dreams of being an animator are destroyed.

Be careful!  The best option you can take if you get an explicit photo is to delete it right away.  If you’re considering taking an inappropriate photo or being pressured to, either stand up for yourself and say no, or (as suggested by the authors of the book Flirtexting) take a picture of your elbow or knee.  That may stop the requests from coming.