Sexting: Things to Keep in Mind

On October 10, 2012, 15-year old Amanda Todd, resident of British Columbia, Canada committed suicide. The story goes that Todd met a guy online who she was ‘flattered’ by, and so decided to flash her boobs for him over webcam; he took a picture. Subsequently, he asked her to put on a show for him, but she refused which led to the picture the guy took being sent to all Todd’s friends and classmates via Facebook. Todd was severely criticized and bullied for her actions and so turned to drugs to cope. She attempted suicide a couple times well, before finally succeeding (Dean, 2012).

The link below shows the video created by Todd before she took her life:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej7afkypUsc

Things to Keep in Mind
Although not everyone who sexts and is exposed ends up committing suicide, it is a possibility as with the unfortunate case of Amanda Todd. Even though it was the bullying that actually led her to commit suicide, the whole thing started after the photo was leaked. In order to prevent such from happening, here are a few things to keep in mind before sending a nude:

What Could Happen?
Once that file is sent, there is no going back; it is no longer in your control and the person/s who has/have it can do what they want with it.

Who Are You Sending To?
It is important to know the person you are sending it to well enough. It should be someone you trust, so that you do not have to worry about the negative repercussions that could result, if the sext goes viral.

What Happens If There is a Leak?
What might possibly happen if your sext is shared with persons other than your intended recipient/s? How would you react? What would be the reaction of your parents, family members, friends, and others who know you well? (childline, n.d.).

Remember, before sending nudes electronically, be aware of the possible repercussions of sending them, and who you are sending to, because if something unintended happens, the effects can be devastating.




References
childline. (n.d.). Sexting. Retrieved from https://www.childline.org.uk/info-advice/bullying-abuse-safety/online-mobile-safety/sexting/
Dean, M. (2012). The story of Amanda Todd. The New Yorker. Retrieved from http://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-story-of-amanda-todd



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Online vs. Offline Personalities

Have you ever met someone on a social network, who seemed really awesome, fun, interactive and heavily extroverted, then to discover the complete opposite when you meet them in an offline (real-life) setting? It has definitely happened to me and I couldn’t help but wonder why. I think one explanation behind this seemingly complex phenomenon lies with one’s comfort in an online setting. It’s quite easy to just be 100% confident because he/she is not actually standing in front of someone, and has time to think to respond. He/she may not necessarily have distinct offline and online personalities, rather just an appearance of that because of issues related to self-confidence and self-esteem. Another possible explanation could be that one is projecting the personality type he/she would like to have. It is so much easier to enact that personality online because this person is hidden; body language can’t be read, facial expression can’t be seen and intonation can’t be discriminated.
Read more

Technology & Human Interaction

In last week’s posts I explored the ways in which technology is being used to enhance the field of psychology and specific online therapeutic tools. This week’s focus will be on technology’s effects on human interaction. I know it may seem a bit cliché because this topic has been extensively explored, nevertheless it will be briefly discussed. Technology has indeed increased human interaction because there are now more opportunities to connect with others. What is suffering however, is the actual quality of these interactions and relationships. It is quite normal to have 1,000+ friends on Facebook these days, and one would think that someone with that number of friends definitely interacts frequently, which may in fact be the case. But what is the quality of these interactions? Just think about it: how many close friends do people really have and engage in meaningful face-to-face interactions with? Exactly – not that many. Research shows that regardless of the number of people
Read more

The Psychology of Online Dating

In societies today, many persons have adapted to ‘online living’ in practically every aspect of life, including dating. Although some still enjoy meeting their special him or her in a face-to-face setting, meeting someone online and then building a relationship from there is becoming more and more common and accepted in recent times. So what really motivates us to utilize online dating? Firstly, according to evolutionary psychologists, physical attractiveness plays a huge role. Because pictures can be easily altered and edited via programs and applications on computers and mobile phones, many persons portray splendid images online. Physical beauty is a sign of health and fertility and so onlookers are usually attracted to these traits as, again according to evolutionary psychologists, we as humans are preoccupied with survival and reproduction (Spira, 2016). In addition, lying and deception seem to be quite prevalent in online dating. People who are on these dating sites see o
Read more