I have been noticing the term in the headlines more and more. S E X T I N G Rarely do I see interest, or thoughtful inquiry as to the cause. More often than not, stories on the topic tend to be lawsuits and criminal charges. Without knowledge or understanding as to why teens might be toying with this new form of… expression, the powers that be are all too eager just to file child pornography charges. Heck, I would be interested to see the causes as to why that is, but let’s stick to one root cause at a time.
So, why are kids interested in sending titillating snaps of themselves via their phone. Really, this form of expression is just bounding down the evolutionary path. Texting and IM’ing are changes the landscape of language. KWIM.
Carlo Longino’s article asks some very interesting questions. Again, I see opportunity for education, a learning moment. As the article mentions, you could address the boy who was hurt and sexted just to get back at his girlfriend. We need to look at these things with educator’s eyes. Rather than over react, as is often the case with sexting, a lesson of web-responsibility could be addressed. Really, the point of the article is that in most cases, malicious, devious, intentions are not the cause. Not even immaturity, as shown by the boy in the article who did not know how to handle a break up. But the real reason kids text… It is exciting. What else do we expect. They see as much in the check out at the Safe Way from Paris, Lindsay, and Brittany. We live in a world where sex is glamorized and coupled within educational taboo. This is a dangerous mix. I say, open up the dialogue with our kids. Model positive forms of expression. Encourage thoughtful discussions. Mainly, react in an appropriate manner. Every situation can be learned from, if viewed in the right way.
Ref:
Longino, Carlo . “When Does It Stop Being ‘Sexting’ And Start Being Something More Serious?.” Tech Dirt. 9 Apr. 2009. IBM. 9 Apr. 2009
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