Among college-aged students, the concept of sexting isn’t typically considered taboo. Most people I know have either sent or received a sext of some kind in their life or at least know someone else who has. I myself have sent and received my fair share of sexts and even seen those that were sent to friends, but not intended for my eyes.
The culture of sexting is one that, I believe, is ever-changing and constantly evolving with new forms of social media and technology. (I can’t be the only one thinking about virtual reality porn, right?) From Snapchats and screenshots to FaceTime and phone sex, there is a multitude of tools that seem to almost be made for sexting at the fingertips of many of us.
This past week I spent a lot of time talking to different students on campus to try and get a better understanding of how college-aged students really feel about sexting, and if the idea of snapping an intimate photo and sending it out into cyberspace is something we’re as comfortable with as people, including myself, think.
The following are the thoughts and opinions of four OU students who opened up about their own experiences with sexting and led me to believe that as a generation we may be more conservative than we think.
Do you sext? If so, how often?
Julia: Yes I do, probably two to four times a week. I’m in a long-distance relationship right now and it helps keep things interesting.
Jeffery: I personally do not sext. Not saying I never would, but I just haven’t seen the need to.
Briana: Not often, but yes. When my boyfriend moved out of state we wanted to keep the fire alive so we would sext every week or every other depending on our schedules.
Reggie: I would say that I sext on a rate of about once a month, although I typically find that sexting occurs in short bursts. So on average, it may occur once a month, however, there will be times where it’ll occur more frequently than others.
Do you practice or try to uphold any set of morals or set of rules when you sext?
Julia: I personally don’t have any set of rules I follow, but I know that nothing ever really deletes forever.
Jeffery: I would assume that depending on your partner you probably have some sort of bar or line you don’t cross. Depends on what you’re into, though.
Briana: I never sexted before I started dating my boyfriend, but because we were in a long distance relationship we both knew it would be important to try and keep our sex life going. He knew I wasn’t crazy about the idea of taking or sending photos of myself at first so we started with Snapchat since the photos could only last so long before they expired and the rule we had was that we couldn’t take screenshots. As I became more comfortable from there we would just text each other photos, but I think we both trusted one another enough to expect that those were just for us and we wouldn’t show anyone else.
Reggie: As far as morals are concerned, the most important issue is the digression. Whether sexting occurs in the form of images, videos, messages or any other form, there is an implicit trust between both parties that neither side will violate the confidentiality of the other. When a girl sends me something it's private, period.
What age do you think is appropriate to start sexting? What age did you start?
Julia: I’d say after high school. Anywhere between 17 and 19. I started at 16.
Jeffery: I would say 18. If you’re old enough to be considered a legal adult you’re old enough to make choices regarding your own body and if you want to sext or not.
Briana: I think it’s really different for everyone. Obviously, I find it concerning when I see stories of middle schoolers on the news getting in trouble for sexting in school, but everyone starts their sex life at different times. I didn’t start sexting until 21, but I had been asked to send pictures before in both high school and college. I was never comfortable sending anything at that time, so I didn’t. I think that as long as you’re doing it with a trustworthy person there really isn't an age you can pin to establish when it’s appropriate.
Reggie: I think sexting has become a new form for young adults to explore their sexuality as they are maturing. Theoretically, I would have to say then that the appropriate age to begin sexting would be the same age as you start engaging in other sexual acts. I was about 15 or 16 when I started all of those things and I think that’s appropriate.
If you had to come up with 3 tips, like a guide to sexting, what would they be?
Julia:
1. Do not send pictures to random people you just met/hardly know.
2. Do not sext with people you can’t trust, even when you think you can (people could always hold it against you).
3. Do not sext with strangers online.
Jeffery:
1. Make sure both partners involved and on the same page no matter what.
2. Keep in mind everything you send doesn't go away completely. Don’t send it if you’d be too embarrassed if it got out.
3. To get trust you have to earn it. Keep what someone sends you in private.
Briana:
1. Take your time starting out. You don’t have to show everything and send a lot of photos or videos right away, ease into it and start showing a little then work your way up. It makes it a lot more exciting that way too.
2. If you don’t feel comfortable, don’t do it. Never let someone suggest you send them something specific and make you feel like you have to do it because you don’t.
3. Take photos or videos and send messages that you like. If you start taking photos of yourself to please yourself, you’ll have more fun sexting. If you don’t appreciate your body and love the way you look first, it will be hard to expect that of others.
Reggie:
1. Don’t put your face in any image or video that you take.
2. Be wary of how much trust you place in any sexting partner.
3. Respect the privacy of others and understand that the actions that you choose could potentially alter another person’s reputation for years to come.
Haley Dake is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Do you sext? Let Haley know by emailing her at @hd883312@ohio.edu.
