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Sexting and Teens There is a new phenomenon in teen circles. It’s called “Sexting”. Essentially, sexting is sending nude or hypersexual images via cell phones in the form of texts messages. A few days ago, a grieving mother shared a heart-wrenching story. Her teen daughter took her own life after sexually explicit photographs sent to her boyfriend were circulated throughout her school. I watched the segment, shook my head and finished my make up. But throughout the day, the story stuck with me. It is no secret that young people tend to behave spontaneously with little regard for consequences. Some scientific sources attribute the youthful recklessness to the underdevelopment of the prefrontal cortex. This region of the brain helps us consider and weigh the consequences of our actions. Some say it is not fully developed until the early twenties. Whatever the reason youth engage in this potentially dangerous exchange, it must stop. I spoke to my seventeen year old son about it and warned him of the potential hazards of engaging in such behavior. I tried as desperately as I could to “park” my parental judgments and clearly explain how harmful it could be to send or accept such pictures. I went so far as to encourage him not to allow anyone he cares about to engage in the behavior as well. Sending nude or explicit photos can potentially threaten the career ambitions, social standing and the personal self-images of our kids. Or worse, it could create a hostile, toxic social environment as it did for Jesse Logan- the beautiful teen girl that committed suicide as a result of the taunting from her school-mates. This “sexting” thing is a new “issue” for most of us. So, I give big kudos, hugs and thanks to Mrs. Logan for sharing her pain with the nation and, in turn, empowering us to warn our children about this new “secret” in youth culture.
Read Jesse Logan's Story (and view video): http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/29546030/
