Sexting: What Parents Need to Know?
Sexting was unknown to you during your adulthood phase, but your children may be the victim of this horrifying situation.
If you’re a parent and still don’t know about sexting, you are in a dangerous situation. Definitely, you would have listened to the word sex and you send text messages to your fellows also.
Sexting Definition in Modern Age of Technology
So, the combination of sex and text is sexting and sexting definition in modern age of technology is that sending and receiving sexually exploited text messages, snaps and nude pictures of oneself or some other person through social media platforms, websites etc.
Why do Teens Do Sexting?
In a research conducted at IUB in Psychology Department, it was found out that sexting students have different triggers like sexual pleasure, attention getting, sensation seeking, negative urgency, frustration, family pressure and stressful environment, peer pressure, porn videos, hostel life and some others.
While talking with The Washington Post, Melinda Gate, the wife of Bill Gates shared that I spent my life in developing technology but was not able to guess about such effects on my kids
It is alarmingly increasing in the whole world, especially among the teens– a stage which is one of the decision making stages of career and life.
These statistics of 2016 of the USA reveal that approximately 15% people sent sext to others and about 9% received sext without any consent.
Causes of Sexting
Impact of Social Media and Sexting
The main cause of sexting among teenagers is untamed, unchecked and untrained use of social media. It is the so-called era of social media during which our fellows are virtually connected with the whole world but in reality, they are sometimes unknown to the person residing next to them. In some worst cases, family members living in the same house remain unconnected for long periods.
When the teens are lonely in their rooms and using social media platforms, they talk on different topics with their social media friends. Social media platforms also show nude pictures and porn videos. When a youngster clicks such data just for one time, such related data is shown again and again.
According to a study, 13 to 68% youngsters from age group 18 to 24 years are habitual in watching such content which exploits them sexually.
When youngsters are alone, chances of watching such data increase manifold and when they see porn videos, they want to apply those things on human beings so they start convincing their friends on sexting.
During this process of sexting, Dopamine, which gives pleasure, is released and the person starts enjoying. Later on, this process continues mostly till marriage.
Sexting and Late marriages
Sometimes late marriage can also be a reason for this issue. Its solution is simple: timely marriage which is the message of almost all the religions. Marriages should be made easy and less expensive. By doing this, you can also save your children from the cancer of sexting.
Effect of Peer Pressure on Teens’ Sexting
Students who live in hostels are the soft targets of sexts. Here peer pressure plays a key role in pushing the students towards sexting. If one friend is sexting, that friend can contaminate the other close friends and they all can be the victims of sexting.
So, as parents, you must have complete information of the friends of your son or daughter and guide them properly to save them from this ailment. Sexting forums, dirty texts and teen nudes are common terms used by sexts. If you are aware of these terms, you can handle sexting issues of your children in a better way.
What Can Parents Do to Control Sexting in Children?
Feel free to discuss
Make your children feel that you are the part of their team and performing the role of coach cum captain. Sometimes children may think the parents against their freedom and enjoyment.
When you are comfortable to discuss the challenges of sex, sexting and pornography, the children will be closer to you. Contrary to that, if you don’t discuss and their friends discuss these things with her, they may not be able to guide them properly, rather they can detract your child.
So, the best possible option is to be closer to your children and help them moving from childhood to adulthood- an age of responsibility and maturity.
Give Sex Education to your Children
If you are a parent, don’t hesitate to talk with your children about sex. Don’t pre suppose that your child will not get nude data in her phone. The best option is to educate the pros and cons of misuse of such data.
“Secrets of Sex” a Bollywood movie, also discusses this topic in an excellent way. In that story, younger sister accidentally is involved in a sexual activity and gets pregnant. Later on, she tries for abortion and during this, she loses her life.
Sex education in a proper way to your children can save them from sexting, masturbation and other ailments of social media world.
Risks- Helpful or Destructive
It is the prime obligation of the parents to guide the children between helpful and destructive risks. Taking helpful risks is must for children regarding learning by doing but during childhood, children are mature not up to a point where they themselves can decide between right and wrong.
Children have the urge to experience new things but they don’t know the narrow line that divides goodness from evil. Here, being parents the great responsibility lies on your shoulders because you can teach your children the sense of right and wrong. Otherwise, social media platforms have the power and magnetism to attract towards pornography and sexting.
To support my point of view, I want to add up one more thing that the rest of the mammals relieve their babies when they are able to eat, drink and walk. Contrary to that, human children are kept under observation not only to nourish their physical but also emotional, intellectual and spiritual quotients which enable a person to the level of crown of creation.
In this scenario, https://famisafe.wondershare.com/ can be no less than a miracle because you can observe and control the phone of the children through this app. If your child is watching some immoral data on her phone, you come to know about this and guide your child properly. Otherwise she may fall in the ditch of sexting.
Phones- Open for Review
Few years ago, my cell phone didn’t have any locks. Later on, unluckily, my cell phone was lost and I had to face a harsh challenge of my life. Now, my cell phone is locked with a pattern that every member in my family knows. The same condition is applied on every phone in the family.
Any family member can see the cell phone of any other member of the family. Its result is amazing. Teenagers are also under observation and any mishap can be handled easily and timely.
But problems have to be faced when elders themselves are either too busy to supervise the children or busy in such immoral activities. As it is an old saying, actions speak louder than words. So, parents need to better themselves first of all and later on that change can be shifted in the future generations. commonsensemedia.org can be very supportive for parents in this regard.
Unplug your Eating Time
It has been observed that the people who use social media a lot, face challenges to overcome that bad habit. For this, it is fruitful to have gadgets free time in the family and that time must be minimum twice in the family.
That gadget free time should be full of fun and enjoyment and this thing will impress the minds of your children and they will wait for such respites anxiously. Otherwise, they will be happy in their social media world which can lead them towards sexting because some evil-minded person may be waiting for some prey. In this context, a lot of care and attention is required to improve the existing ailing conditions.
Harmful Effects of Sexting on Teens
During sexting, teens may not be careful about the sharing of naked videos and nude snaps that exploit sex. They think that their data would be safe in the hands of the receiver but they don’t know that nothing is safe in the digital world. After breakup or some other problem, that data can be misrepresented and misused also. They must keep in mind that their shared data can be hacked and abused also
Negative psychological effect is another problem of sexting. It can cause depression and embarrassment in teens when their nude or semi-nude pics are shared with some one else. In extreme case, children can commit suicide also.
Mental health of sexts does not remain normal in many cases because of lack of focus on normal life and assigned tasks which increases frustration in life.
In a Nutshell
Being parents, you should remain alert and connected with social media with your children. By doing this, you can be aware of the ups and downs of your children’s lives and can prevent them from sexting and its after effects.
If you are successful in giving quality time, affection, right guidelines, consistent positive behavior and broad mindedness to your children, they will lead to prosperity, success and happiness under your kind supervision. This is the best way to save them from sexting and other latest challenges of digital world.
By Ajmal Dass Jaipal