Science Forums 2

[Moontanman]

Is sexting sexual exploitation of children or is it just teenagers exploring their own sexuality? Should sexting be prosecuted as Child pornography? Should these teens be labeled as child molesters for a teen age indiscretion?

I keep hearing about sexting and the dire effects it has on the "victims" practically a fate worse than death! Give me a break! The worse thing about sexting is the authorities prosecuting a teenager for kiddie porn and being branded a pedophile for the rest of their life. Do we really want to ruin a teens life for a youthful indiscretion? Doesn't anyone remember Polaroid pictures? When I was young Polaroids were the "sexting" no one died from Polaroid sexting no one will die from this either. Yes some kids have used sexting to bully other kids but that is our tendency to bully people over things that are perceived to be embarrassing. Any kid who is different or vulnerable in some way is often bullied,sexting isn't some special evil. My kids are grown but if they were part of this sexting craze I would ask them do they really want to risk the pervert down the street adding their photo to his or her collecting? Sexting should not be a crime, ruining kids lives over youthful indiscretion is simply wrong. It makes adults look like anal retentive prudes and then kids see TV and magazine adds that glorify and exploit teens sexually and nothing is done because it's done by adults. But when they try to show them selves as sexual they are prosecuted, then we as adults are sending terribly mixed messages. Yes we should discourage sexting but to threaten teens with terrible punishments for something they are doing voluntarily as an exercise in teasing each other then we are the ones who are perverts not the kids. Tell your kids that by sexting they are risking their pics being in cyberspace forever and ask them if they really want to risk their photos to becoming part of the Internet porn trade but don't threaten them with ruined lives or gross exaggerations of reality. Nudity is not going to kill anyone, lets go after real evil not made up evil.