Sexting is when anyone sends inappropriate or intimate pictures or messages. It’s bad for teens. It can be embarrassing. It can ruin your social life and self-esteem. And, it can lead to some teens committing suicide. 

For example, this past September Channing Smith, a 16-year-old teen boy from Manchester, killed himself after photos between him and another boy were posted on social media. He couldn’t face the humiliation of being cyber bullied, so he committed suicide. 

According to Psychology today, new research approximately 20 to 30 percent of teens have sent and/or received a sext. That’s a lot. Why would teens want to do something that could ruin their reputation, ruin friendships or relationships?

We may be curious and want to try and experience new things and sexting is something we want to try or do because their getting older, and sex is something new.

We may feel peer pressured to do it because we see that are friends are doing it. If they are in a relationship your significant other might want to start sexting because they are seeing  everybody else is doing it. Their boyfriend or girlfriend could also be pressuring them to send nudes or they keep bringing up the subject. Some teens feel pressured to send nudes because they think sending nudes will get approval from others.  

We may think that we’re in love so it’s okay to send nudes. I knew somebody who thought they were in love. Her boyfriend kept asking her to send him nudes and she ended up sending them. A week later they broke up and her nudes were all over social media and school. After she found out she was embarrassed to show her face. 

We may not be thinking at all while sending them. While sending them were problem not thinking about all the consequences and the effects of taking and sending nudes. When we’re sending sexts and nudes we’re probably just caught up in the moment. Their probably not thinking too much about what if the photos got out.

According to Psychology Today, teens who needs this type of attention or needs love and acceptance. To them, their boyfriend or girlfriend is trustworthy, and they would do anything, he/she may give in and do something he’ll/she’ll later regret. 

I think that sexting is mainly happening because teens are letting their partner, or someone get into their head. Some teens use sexting to further their relationship. The meaning is to show their trust in one another. Teens also use sexting to flirt or to start a relationship. 

Even though sexting is not a crime, I believe it should be. I think it should be a crime because if it’s a crime more teens wouldn’t sext. Most teens don’t know it, but sexting could ruin a teens life if someone was to post on social media.

Most teens say to themselves: “it’s not like it can’t be deleted.” Well, they’re wrong. Because even if it was deleted, that doesn’t mean that it’s not still out there somewhere on the internet. So, you should always think before you send someone a sext.