Sexting is not worth the trouble

The other day I was sitting outside of my counselor’s office and, being the nosy person that I am, began to listen to what the people around me were saying.

A girl was telling her counselor that her friend had nude pictures on her phone. She told her counselor that she had been going through her friend’s phone and come across the dirty pictures. She was distressed and told her counselor that she only wanted what was best for her friend. She said her friend was probably going to or already had sent them to a guy she was trying to impress.

With the now widespread use of cell phones and technology with high school students, “sexting” has become a problem for teens and administrators.
Sexting is the act of sending sexually explicit photographs to other people through the use of a cell phone. Although sexting may not seem like a big deal, it is in fact, a huge deal.

Imagine that someone asks you for nude, suggestively posed, and/or provocative photos. You probably want this person to like you, you probably have a crush. You want to impress them, so you say, “What the hell? Sure, I’ll send you a picture.”

A few weeks later you are called into the office; you have no idea why. You walk into the office and an assistant principal’s office hands you a paper. You are shocked to see that the very picture you sent that person is on the paper. That person sent your picture around and someone brought it to your AP.

Your parents are called and they see the picture. You are suspended and sent home.

“There’s no pretty way to deal with it,” said School Resource Officer Deputy Tim Vales.

Your parents are going to see that picture! Think of that when you’re taking it. Do you really want Mom and Dad to see you like that? Good luck looking them in the eye for a while.

Don’t kid yourself; when you send that dirty picture you aren’t only sending it to one person. There’s no guessing how many of your peers are going to see it.

“It’s like a virus, and that’s why they call it viral,” said Vales.

Someone is bound to post that picture on the web. Then not only can your peers see it, but so can billions of other people throughout the world. Your future employer isn’t going to want you working for them when they Google your name and that picture comes up.

When you sext, you open yourself up to a shock of embarrassment and consequence. You can even affect your future. Just don’t do it! That person isn’t worth it. Don’t let yourself be used.