- Sexting Among Teens on the Rise, Says Study (ABC News)
Brian Kearney said that as a gay teenager, he missed out on the typical teenage love connections that most of his peers experienced in high school. He didn't have gay interactions, but apps and technologies allowed him to connect with gay men he otherwise wouldn't meet.
He was 17 when he sent his first sext, he said.
"My first sext made me feel really good about myself," Kearney, now 21, told ABCNews.com. "Going through my early years knowing I was gay and not having any interactions with other gay males was difficult, but sexting was a way to feel normal. It made me feel like my peers around me, and for once I knew what it was like to be desired by someone."
And now, a new study finds Kearney is not alone in participating in the sexting culture. In fact, a new study published in the journal Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine found that nearly 30 percent of high school students have sent sexually explicit messages via their cell phones -- a rise over previous studies.
Researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston surveyed seven Texas high schools and found that 28 percent of nearly 1,000 students had sent a sext and 31 percent had requested one from someone else. More than half of the students surveyed had been asked for a nude photo.
Most teens surveyed said they were at least somewhat bothered when asked for a sext. Twenty-seven percent of girls reportedly felt very bothered by the invitations versus 3 percent of boys.
Kids who sexted were more likely to be having sex, and girls who sexted were more likely to participate in risky sexual behavior, including having multiple sexual partners and using drugs or alcohol before sex, the survey found.
"Sexting may be a fairly reliable indicator of sexual behaviors," said Jeff R. Temple, lead author of the study and assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at University of Texas at Medical Branch.
Temple did emphasize that sexting is not necessarily a cause or a consequence of risky sex, but just an associated behavior.
"Relative to sex, sexting may be a less tension-filled or scary topic to bring up with teens, and thus could provide an opportunity to discuss sexual behaviors and safe sex," he said.
Kearney didn't continue sexting for long before he realized just how dangerous the behavior could be.
"I did not fully know the person I was sexting," he said. "They could have been a rapist or pedophile."
He also said he didn't want to end up like so many of his schoolmates.
"There were quite a few nude photographs sent around my school of individuals because of their decision in choosing to sext with someone who was doing it as a joke," he said.
The researchers suggested that pediatricians consider screening for sexting behaviors as an opportunity to talk about safe sex. Parent should also talk to their children about sexting, as it may be a good transition into a talk about sex in general. The act of sexting has potentially devastating consequences, experts said.
"This behavior shows the power of peer pressure and the drive for girls and boys to be liked, and to do what they have to do in order to keep the other person interested," said Seth Meyers, a Los Angeles-based psychologist. "This behavior plants the dangerous seed of treating your body like an object and treating sexuality as a means of fair trade rather than intimacy and respect."
Dr. Eugene Beresin, a child psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital and professor at Harvard Medical School, said sexting may have shattering legal, social and emotional consequences for teenagers.
Previous studies on sexting among teens have found lower rates of participation, but the Texas researchers said the large sample of data included a more diverse study population than past data.
Nevertheless, Beresin said it's important for society to take this study as an indicator of a potential danger for youth.
"The immediate impact may simply be harming one's reputation," Beresin said. "However, in many states, teens are at risk for violating child pornography laws by posting nude photos of themselves or passing on such photos of others. In some instances, for example, kids have been charged with misdemeanors. More severe implications have been reported for such dissemination, such as being placed on sex-offender registries."
Sexting can also elicit cyberbullying, stalking behavior from a recipient and a negative impact on one's image, identity, self-esteem, and relationships.
"The consequences of a sexting message may be very difficult to undo," Beresin warned.
Why Penis Pictures Aren’t Pretty
While women and men both seem to enjoy typing a little naughty back-and-forth filled with sexual fantasy, things seem to get too real for us gals when a guy flashes a camera where the sun don’t shine, and then texts the photo on over.
If you’re a star athlete like Brett Favre, a politician like the aptly named Anthony Weiner or a just a guy with a smart phone, the reaction to private parts going public has made it clear—women don’t find penis photos sexy, no matter how jaw-droppingly impressive the man or member in question might be.It's proven by science: While guys seem to be able to ogle pictures of lady-bits all day long, we women require more to put us in the mood. In the famous sexuality study known as “The Bonobo Study,” both heterosexual and homosexual women and men were shown various forms of nude videos, from non-sexual exercises done in the buff to same-sex intercourse to even, you guessed it, Bonobo chimpanzees mating. And surprisingly enough, whether it was our hairy cousins or humans, the study concluded that, “Women respond primarily to the sexual activities performed by actors, whereas men respond primarily to the gender of the actors.”
So, although we’ve learned why a trip to Monkey Jungle makes for a great date, we have to wonder: Why is there such a disconnect in what turns the sexes on?
Men seem to think it is a question of aesthetics. Jason*, 30, jokes that his private part “looks like a half eaten creamsicle that fell in the sand.” As hilarious as that self-deprecating admission is, no matter how attractive or ugly a guy thinks his penis is, looks do not actually appear to be at the root of why private part pics don’t do the trick for women.
For Julia*, 34, showing off the family jewels makes her question the integrity of the man it is attached to. “My early experiences with seeing penises were either nudist hippies or worrying about creepy pedophile flashers in the park. So, when faced with a disembodied peen [in a cell phone photo], my first instinct is not to think it’s some bed-ready stud.”
And that line of reasoning, as Dr. J. Michael Bailey from the Department Of Psychology at Northwestern University believes, all boils down to what ladies are looking for in a mate. “Women do not appear to have evolved to be easily aroused by naked men or their penises, or simply by the sexual interest of random men. [Evolutionarily speaking] that would lead to unwise sexual decisions and bad consequences such as getting pregnant by a man without any intention of investing,” he argues.
While we all agree that modern women aren’t having sex just to get a baby out of it, still, from an evolutionary standpoint, females are looking for more than just a nice package in his pants, we’re looking for a package deal.
How a man presents himself is key and as the ZZ Top can tell you: “Every girl’s crazy ‘bout a sharp dressed man.” Sexpert Mary Jo Rapini, LPC, MEd, is quick to point out in her article “Women Need Time To Get Their Sexy On” that, “Women need different stimuli to turn them on than men. We don’t get excited when we see a naked man. In fact, most women prefer a man with shorts on to a man in the buff. If he puts a suit on and parades around the house, even better.”
With us ladies, it seems the more left up to the imagination, the better.We asked a panel of women to dish what “porn” has turned them on and we found a common theme: men in sensitive, domestic settings are simply irresistible. Bianca*, 31, shared, “My fiancé sometimes texts me pictures of him holding cute animals, because he knows that's how to really kill me.” Christina*, 28, divulged, “the hottest photo my boyfriend has ever sent me was of him reading a book I had leant him on the sofa, shirtless.” Or as Sara*, a 42-year-old mother responded, “The sexiest photo would be a pile of folded laundry.” Swoon!
Of course that doesn't mean that a good ol' fashioned porno won't get the ladies going. It's just that, well, most gals find the typical mega-thrusty, zoomed-in-on-body-parts (read: created for men) porn to be the opposite of sexy. The research shows that women respond (and respond they do!) to female-oriented porn that is story-focused and uses camera shots that are zoomed out to show the couple's full bodies.
So, gentlemen, the lesson here seems to be whether you want to make DIY porn for your special lady or not, you have to keep it in your pants until someone else is there to unbutton them for you. You get extra brownie points if you can snag an adorable kitten, rock a well-tailored pair of pants, enjoy fine literature or do some chores to put your main squeeze in the mood for love.
*names have been changed
He was 17 when he sent his first sext, he said.
"My first sext made me feel really good about myself," Kearney, now 21, told ABCNews.com. "Going through my early years knowing I was gay and not having any interactions with other gay males was difficult, but sexting was a way to feel normal. It made me feel like my peers around me, and for once I knew what it was like to be desired by someone."
And now, a new study finds Kearney is not alone in participating in the sexting culture. In fact, a new study published in the journal Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine found that nearly 30 percent of high school students have sent sexually explicit messages via their cell phones -- a rise over previous studies.
Researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston surveyed seven Texas high schools and found that 28 percent of nearly 1,000 students had sent a sext and 31 percent had requested one from someone else. More than half of the students surveyed had been asked for a nude photo.
Most teens surveyed said they were at least somewhat bothered when asked for a sext. Twenty-seven percent of girls reportedly felt very bothered by the invitations versus 3 percent of boys.
Kids who sexted were more likely to be having sex, and girls who sexted were more likely to participate in risky sexual behavior, including having multiple sexual partners and using drugs or alcohol before sex, the survey found.
"Sexting may be a fairly reliable indicator of sexual behaviors," said Jeff R. Temple, lead author of the study and assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at University of Texas at Medical Branch.
Temple did emphasize that sexting is not necessarily a cause or a consequence of risky sex, but just an associated behavior.
"Relative to sex, sexting may be a less tension-filled or scary topic to bring up with teens, and thus could provide an opportunity to discuss sexual behaviors and safe sex," he said.
Kearney didn't continue sexting for long before he realized just how dangerous the behavior could be.
"I did not fully know the person I was sexting," he said. "They could have been a rapist or pedophile."
He also said he didn't want to end up like so many of his schoolmates.
"There were quite a few nude photographs sent around my school of individuals because of their decision in choosing to sext with someone who was doing it as a joke," he said.
The researchers suggested that pediatricians consider screening for sexting behaviors as an opportunity to talk about safe sex. Parent should also talk to their children about sexting, as it may be a good transition into a talk about sex in general. The act of sexting has potentially devastating consequences, experts said.
"This behavior shows the power of peer pressure and the drive for girls and boys to be liked, and to do what they have to do in order to keep the other person interested," said Seth Meyers, a Los Angeles-based psychologist. "This behavior plants the dangerous seed of treating your body like an object and treating sexuality as a means of fair trade rather than intimacy and respect."
Dr. Eugene Beresin, a child psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital and professor at Harvard Medical School, said sexting may have shattering legal, social and emotional consequences for teenagers.
Previous studies on sexting among teens have found lower rates of participation, but the Texas researchers said the large sample of data included a more diverse study population than past data.
Nevertheless, Beresin said it's important for society to take this study as an indicator of a potential danger for youth.
"The immediate impact may simply be harming one's reputation," Beresin said. "However, in many states, teens are at risk for violating child pornography laws by posting nude photos of themselves or passing on such photos of others. In some instances, for example, kids have been charged with misdemeanors. More severe implications have been reported for such dissemination, such as being placed on sex-offender registries."
Sexting can also elicit cyberbullying, stalking behavior from a recipient and a negative impact on one's image, identity, self-esteem, and relationships.
"The consequences of a sexting message may be very difficult to undo," Beresin warned.
Open letter to guys: Stop sending us below-the-belt shots!
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Sexting (dirty talk from the safety of our cell phone) can really reach out and touch someone.
If you’re a star athlete like Brett Favre, a politician like the aptly named Anthony Weiner or a just a guy with a smart phone, the reaction to private parts going public has made it clear—women don’t find penis photos sexy, no matter how jaw-droppingly impressive the man or member in question might be.It's proven by science: While guys seem to be able to ogle pictures of lady-bits all day long, we women require more to put us in the mood. In the famous sexuality study known as “The Bonobo Study,” both heterosexual and homosexual women and men were shown various forms of nude videos, from non-sexual exercises done in the buff to same-sex intercourse to even, you guessed it, Bonobo chimpanzees mating. And surprisingly enough, whether it was our hairy cousins or humans, the study concluded that, “Women respond primarily to the sexual activities performed by actors, whereas men respond primarily to the gender of the actors.”
So, although we’ve learned why a trip to Monkey Jungle makes for a great date, we have to wonder: Why is there such a disconnect in what turns the sexes on?
Men seem to think it is a question of aesthetics. Jason*, 30, jokes that his private part “looks like a half eaten creamsicle that fell in the sand.” As hilarious as that self-deprecating admission is, no matter how attractive or ugly a guy thinks his penis is, looks do not actually appear to be at the root of why private part pics don’t do the trick for women.
For Julia*, 34, showing off the family jewels makes her question the integrity of the man it is attached to. “My early experiences with seeing penises were either nudist hippies or worrying about creepy pedophile flashers in the park. So, when faced with a disembodied peen [in a cell phone photo], my first instinct is not to think it’s some bed-ready stud.”
And that line of reasoning, as Dr. J. Michael Bailey from the Department Of Psychology at Northwestern University believes, all boils down to what ladies are looking for in a mate. “Women do not appear to have evolved to be easily aroused by naked men or their penises, or simply by the sexual interest of random men. [Evolutionarily speaking] that would lead to unwise sexual decisions and bad consequences such as getting pregnant by a man without any intention of investing,” he argues.
While we all agree that modern women aren’t having sex just to get a baby out of it, still, from an evolutionary standpoint, females are looking for more than just a nice package in his pants, we’re looking for a package deal.
How a man presents himself is key and as the ZZ Top can tell you: “Every girl’s crazy ‘bout a sharp dressed man.” Sexpert Mary Jo Rapini, LPC, MEd, is quick to point out in her article “Women Need Time To Get Their Sexy On” that, “Women need different stimuli to turn them on than men. We don’t get excited when we see a naked man. In fact, most women prefer a man with shorts on to a man in the buff. If he puts a suit on and parades around the house, even better.”
With us ladies, it seems the more left up to the imagination, the better.We asked a panel of women to dish what “porn” has turned them on and we found a common theme: men in sensitive, domestic settings are simply irresistible. Bianca*, 31, shared, “My fiancé sometimes texts me pictures of him holding cute animals, because he knows that's how to really kill me.” Christina*, 28, divulged, “the hottest photo my boyfriend has ever sent me was of him reading a book I had leant him on the sofa, shirtless.” Or as Sara*, a 42-year-old mother responded, “The sexiest photo would be a pile of folded laundry.” Swoon!
Of course that doesn't mean that a good ol' fashioned porno won't get the ladies going. It's just that, well, most gals find the typical mega-thrusty, zoomed-in-on-body-parts (read: created for men) porn to be the opposite of sexy. The research shows that women respond (and respond they do!) to female-oriented porn that is story-focused and uses camera shots that are zoomed out to show the couple's full bodies.
So, gentlemen, the lesson here seems to be whether you want to make DIY porn for your special lady or not, you have to keep it in your pants until someone else is there to unbutton them for you. You get extra brownie points if you can snag an adorable kitten, rock a well-tailored pair of pants, enjoy fine literature or do some chores to put your main squeeze in the mood for love.
*names have been changed
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