In a recent survey
by The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy (NCPTUP),
1 in 5 teens (13-19 years old) admitted to having electronically
sent or posted online, nude and/or semi-nude photos and/or videos of
themselves. For young adults between the ages of 20 and 26, that
percentage rose to 33%. The survey initially found that about 80% of
the young men and women that responded said they had only sent such
materials to their girlfriend/boyfriend. However, about 15% of
those who had sent such materials admitted to having done so to
individuals they know only through the Internet.
This online survey,
which was completed by a total of 1,280 respondents, was geared to
understand why teens and young adults engage in activities involving
sexually- explicit messages/ pictures sent or received through the
Internet. Most of the participants said they engage in such
behavior because, “it is a fun and flirtatious activity.” However,
when probed a bit deeper, 51% of teen girls said that they send sexy
messages or images because they are “pressured by a guy”. Among
the most disturbing findings of the study was that 44% of both teen
girls and teen boys say it is common for sexually suggestive text
messages to get shared with people other than the intended
recipient. A similar finding was observed with nude or semi-nude
photos.
In addition to
reporting the results of the online survey, the NCTPUP also offers
suggestions in this article to both teens and parents of teens on
how to handle sex and technology. The most important tip to parents
is to keep the lines of communication open between parents and the
teen with respect to their online behavior and to orient them as far
as the consequences of that behavior. Parents should also monitor
their teen’s online behavior and set proper limits and expectations
with regards to what and whom they’re communicating with when they
are online.[1]
