Laura’s boyfriend, Mark, was going away on a camping trip with his buddies. They had been dating for around five months and Laura trusted Mark, so she texted him a racy photo of herself.
When Mark got out to pump gas, he left his phone in the car. One of Mark’s friends found the picture and forwarded it to all of Mark’s contacts. Within hours, every person at her high school had seen the suggestive photo of Laura.
Laura was bullied at school for the next few months and the tension finally caused her to break up with Mark. As the school year ended, Laura couldn’t help but wonder how one picture had caused her so much trouble.
Why Should You Avoid Sending Explicit Messages
Laura didn’t know it but she had stumbled into the world of sexting, sending sexually explicit text messages.
Whether you’re texting your boyfriend or posting racy photos online, sending explicit content can have serious, long-lasting consequences.
Once you send that photo or text message, you lose control of who sees it. Your image could stay stored on cell phones, computers, or even the Internet for years to come.
Imagine your dream college. If the person reviewing your application found racy photos of you online, it might hurt your chances of acceptance.
Those same photos could also be viewed by your future boss, your grandma and one day, by the man that will become your husband.
How To Avoid Sexting
Avoid explicit conversations. If things start getting inappropriate, a simple: “g2g ttyl” is usually an effective way to end the conversation.
Don’t chat late at night. It’s easy to cross lines at one in the morning that we’d never cross during the day.
Think before you send! Ask yourself how comfortable you’d feel if your parents found your phone. If you cringe just thinking about it, you have your answer.
Have You Ever Been Pressured To Sext?
Have you ever sexted or known a friend who had? What were the consequences? You can click here to comment. You can comment anonymously by typing ‘anonymous’ in the name field.
Photo by: David Castillo Dominici
