Sexting. Dangerous Communication

What is sexting? Well, according to Wikipedia, sexting is the act of sending sexually explicit messages or photographs, primarily between mobile phones. The term was first popularized around 2005, and is a portmanteau of sex and texting, where the latter is meant in the wide sense of sending a text possibly with images.

Rihanna has done it. Brett Favre has done. Tiger Woods and Jesse James have also done it. But what are the consequences of sexting?

 

On Twitter, a fan sent pop diva, Rihanna, a tweet that linked to one of her semi-nude pictures and asked, "what is this?" Rihanna simply replied, "That would be... ME when I was skinny!"

Sandra Bullock's husband, Jesse James, made the mistake of a lifetime when he started having an affair with tattooed-covered photo model, Michelle “Bombshell” McGee. The two ink lovers started "hooking up" after James contacted her to be a model for West Coast Choppers. Later, McGee sold the transcripts of the sexts to In Touch to prove to the world that she was having an affair with James.

One of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, Brett Favre, even fell prey to the power of sexting. He sent texts and pictures of his...cough...ahem...private parts to Jets sideline reporter, Jenn Sterger.
 

And who can forget Tiger Woods? Joslyn James, one of his dozens of mistresses, posted all of Woods’ sexts on her website
textingjoslynjames.com. The text messages reference choking, golden showers, and refer to James as 'my f--king wh--e'. (The domain name textingjoslynjames.com., is up for sale on Ebay).

But this dangerous new way of communicating isn't just popular among adults. Teenagers are doing it, too. In fact, sexting is very common among teens. Roughly 20-30 percent of teens admit to participating in "sexting," according to a nationwide survey by AP-MTV Poll and the National Campaign to Support Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. 

There is even a sexting lingo. The number 8 is the lingo for oral sex. GNOC means Get Naked On Cam (webcam). DUM means Do You Masturbate, IWSN means I Want Sex Now and KPC means Keeping Parents Clueless.
This may seem like fun and games, but as we have seen, the results of sexting, in the wrong hands, can be devastating. With adults, it can lead to embarrassment and divorce, but with teenagers, sexting can lead to suicide
and child pornography charges.


With all of this being known, one has to ask, why are people still sexting?

New Media. Are We Addicted

I'm Addicted To Gossip Sites

JM: What are your favorite sites?

Alyson: E Online and TMZ.

JM: How do you know that you're addicted?

Alyson: Because I have to go to them every day. (Laughs) I have the apps on my phone. E Online updates every few hours.

JM: And how often do you check?

Alyson: Three times a day. If I'm at work, I leave the app open and just refresh it.

JM: How often do you check TMZ?

Alyson: Just once a day.

JM: What do you like about the gossip sites?

Alyson: (Laughing hard) The Kardashians! 

JM: Me too! Me too!

Alyson: I have to know who Kim is dating. And if I don't know the person, I have to Google them.  Oh, now that I say it out loud, it sounds crazy.

JM: So do you watch the show, too?

Alyson: Yes! I watch Kourtney and Kim Take New York!

JM: Me too! Me too!

Alyson: I just like to see what they're wearing. Do you watch Fashion Police?

JM: I do.

Alyson: I Like Julianna Rancic and Kelly Osborne. (Pause) I'm so addicted!

JM: So, what other gossip apps do you have on your phone?

Alyson: (Laughing) I had a Free Lil Wayne Countdown app on my phone.

JM: What?

Alyson: Yes!

JM: There was a Free Lil Wayne App?

Alyson: Yes. I knew when he was getting outta jail. (Laughing) I sound crazy!

JM: No you're don't. I'm addicted, too, but I didn't have a Free Lil Wayne app.

Alyson: (Laughs).

New Media. Are we all addicted?

 I'm A Video Game Addict

JM: What are you addicted to?
Doll: The video game Collapse.


JM: How do you play?
Doll: You have to eliminate colored blocks by clicking groups of three or more like-colored combinations while remaining below the top line. You can match them straight up and down, L-shaped or horizontal as long as there are three in a row.


JM: How often do you play?
Doll: (Laughing) About three or four times a day.


JM: Wow! How long does one game last?
Doll: Well, it depends. There's different types of games with eight different levels, and each game takes about 15 to 20 minutes to play. In one sitting, I've played about two to three hours on the upper levels like 19 and 20.


JM: Wait! Two to three hours playing one game?
Doll: Yep. I have to get a new phone because I've ruined my touch screen from playing too much. I need to get an iPod so I can play on there. You know how you might have to charge your battery once a day. i have to charge mine three or four times a day.


JM: Well, how do you know that you're addicted?
Doll: Because one time I didn't visit with my family because I couldn't stop playing. I didn't want to lose my concentration. I had to in the rhythm. Sometimes my fingers hurt (Laughing). Sometimes I fall asleep playing.


JM: That's funny. So, do you have a favorite website?
Doll: iWin and Yahoo Games. That's where you can go to play free Internet games.


Wanna play Collapse? Click here and enjoy.

New Media. Are we all addicted?

The other day, I left my house without my cell phone. Ahem. Excuse me. My Droid, and I almost had a heart attack. No. Really. I clutched my chest. I didn't know what to do. As I made my way down the highway, I seriously contemplated turning around and being late to work, just to retrieve my baby. My mind raced. The only thing I could think about was what I'd be missing out on.


How was I going to check my email? How would I be able to change my Facebook status? And more importantly, how could I make it through the day without celebrity gossip? Is Beyonce pregnant or not? Will Brad and Angelina adopt another child? These are all important things!


I held onto the steering wheel. My palms began to sweat. How could I survive one full day at work without my Droid? Forget work. Who works at work anymore? I know I'm not the only one that has hide in a corner to text my friends. Heck. I know I'm not the only one who has taken an extra long "bathroom break" just to read my friend's statuses on Facebook and Twitter.


"Sorry, boss. It must have been the beans from the taco I had for lunch."


I'm insane! Obsessed! Addicted!


This new new media has made me a crazy person. I love knowing that I am always connected. Work is tolerable if I can Facebook my friends and tell them that I'm having a crappy day. Life is never boring if I can play Angry Birds on my lunch break. Hey. I can even watch the news if I want. New new media is my new bff.


So, I ask the question. In a world of iPhones, BlackBerrys, laptops, Twitter, Facebook and podcasts, is new new media an addiction? Can you live without your cell phone? Do you visit your favorite sites everyday? Can you leave the house without your gadgets?


I bet you're wondering if I went back to get my Droid. Well, I'm not telling.