From the NYT:
After years of hearing about the dangers of youth sexting, researchers at Drexel University set out in 2015 to find how common the practice is among adults. And after interviewing 870 people, ranging in age from 18 to 82, they discovered that sexting is “more common than generally thought,” as the American Psychological Association primly observed. Fully 88 percent of adults reported swapping sext messages at least once; 82 percent had sexted with someone in the last year. Far from being a threat to our relationships, sexting correlated strongly “with greater sexual satisfaction, especially for those in a relationship.”
Do you believe this? 88%? I’m skeptical that 88% of adults have ever owned a cell phone.
I’ve never sexted via text, but let’s assume instant message services count. Then yes, I have sexted (especially if you consider the benign love-texts from Jeff sexts.) H and I definitely exchanged some mildly erotic messages in the early days of relationship. I find texting slow and painful, and hence have never felt the urge to sext on that platform. Within the last year, though? I don’t think so. In fact, I can say with high confidence, not. Is there something wrong with me? Are we selling ourselves short on sexual satisfaction by not? Should I ask my husband to begin sending me pictures of his nether regions?
I also will admit to have taken, on film, some questionable photos as a 20-year-old. Those no longer exist, thankfully. And, I can’t imagine being in Jeff’s position and having those broadcast across the country fro all to ogle.
I do think we should give teens a break. Sending and receiving sexts seems pretty darn normal, photographic or no. I think you can actually get charged with a crime for doing this, which seems absurd and not in keeping with the times.
Some more interesting perspective from the article:
It’s only going to get worse (or better, depending on your perspective) as we’re rapidly establishing new and welcome cultural norms about hitting on people. It’s increasingly unacceptable to hit on someone at work or in a classroom or on the street. So we do it online. We swipe left or right and start swapping texts with a stranger. The conversation quickly progresses from flirty to dirty and, before we know it, we’re exchanging nudes with that stranger.