“Sexting”

“Sexting is a ‘portmanteau’ term that combines the words sex and texting” (Ringrose et al., 2013).

Sexting has become a common practice among teens and young adults, particularly in women and girls. For the past 10–15 years, it is debated whether sexting is considered a bad or a good thing, especially among young females. People often wonder why? Why do people choose to participate in acts that can negatively affect a person mentally, socially, and maybe financially? Well, it is simple for many young people, participating in the act of sexting carries value. Participating in sexting makes a person feel desirable (Ringrose et al., 2013). In today’s digital parameters, nudes' trading has become almost like currency, feeding off the insecurities of young impressionable teens (Ringrose et al., 2013).

It is hard to say what rules should be in place if two people wish to share explicit photos of themselves. It can not be assumed the person is okay with having their nudes shared, so that conversation must always be. This all should depend on the involved parties comfort levels. But, what if someone breaks that trust and shares a person's nudes without consent? What if that person is underage? That is now considered to be child pornography. When dealing with issues of child pornography, there is no wonder many people are on the fence or are against sexting as a whole. There should be no expectation when it comes to minors sharing explicit photos. If there is, then serious cases of child pornography can slip through and endanger a minor. So when looking at an ethical framework for if a person breaks this trust, it is to determine the victim's age. If the victim is a minor and people share that nude photo of them regardless of whether they consented to be taken, legal actions should be taken.

Now, what if all involved parties are of legal consenting age? This is where things can become a little more tricky. If the victim is subjected to any revenge porn that had negatively impacted their lives, then legal action must be taken. People should not be punished socially because they are comfortable enough to imitate their partner in an online space—more particularly women. There is a double standard in women expressing themselves sexually. Women are often described as having less self-respect if they choose to share nudes (Ringrose et al., 2013). Why? Why are women not allowed to express themselves sexually while their male counterparts are allowed to do so freely and are even encouraged to do so.

Unfortunately, I fear I would never see the freedom of a woman's sexuality in my lifetime. Society is, for some reason, hyper-focused on what women do with their bodies, from sex to abortions. The fight for equal sexual rights for women is far from over. Women shouldn’t be taught to hide themselves away just because society is uncomfortable with their sexuality. That is why it is wrong to discourage people from sexting. It is within a person’s every right to express themselves and their bodies; however, they want online. Regardless of anyone’s opinion, people should be able to send nudes if they want to or not. However, I would like to note that I am not encouraging minors to send explicit photos of themselves online. That is, child pornography, and it is a criminal offence.

References

Ringrose, J., Harvey, L., Gill, R. & Livingstone, S. (2013). Teen girls, sexual double standards, and ‘sexting’: Gendered value in digital image exchange. Feminist Theory 14(3), 305–323.