By Sarah Herron
Valentine's Day traditionally is an occasion to express romantic feelings. Some teens eagerly await February 14 each year, prepared to give the perfect card or gift to a special someone. For others, finding the right way to express their feelings makes Valentine's Day an awkward holiday. Either way, technology makes Valentine's Day greetings easier than ever. Cards, photos, songs, and videos can be sent in an instant from phones or computers.
While it's great to be able to share¯in a matter of seconds and for no cost¯an encouraging message or a funny video, communication technology also can be misused. In recent years news outlets have drawn attention to a trend called sexting, which involves people¯often teenagers¯sending one another provocative texts or nude photos over their phones or computers. Last month Portland Trail Blazers center Greg Oden apologized for offensive photos that he had sent to a former girlfriend that later found their way onto the Internet. Oden said the photos had been taken more than a year ago and were intended solely for his ex-girlfriend. He called the photos "embarrassing."
Oden may be the first celebrity to have sexting come back to haunt him, but the problems associated with this trend are nothing new among American teens. Racy photos that the sender intends to be viewed by only one other person often end up being passed around on phones, in locker rooms, and on the Internet.
It's hard to say how many teens have participated in sexting. A recent Pew Internet survey found that 4 percent had sent suggestive pictures and that 15 percent had received such pictures. An MTV survey found that one-third of teens admit to sending nude photos or videos or receiving such images from peers. The majority who had sent images said that someone had pressured them to do so.
Popular television shows, such as Glee and 90210, have incorporated sexting into their plots. As the practice has become more commonplace, many teens have come to accept it as a form of safe sex. Of course, sexting is anything but safe. Anyone who sends provocative images over a phone or computer runs the risk of those images being widely distributed. In addition to humiliation, violation of privacy, and embarrassment, there are legal issues involved with sexting. In some states teens who distribute nude images of themselves or peers have been prosecuted for child pornography. Many states are examining their child pornography laws in light of this trend.
Regardless of the legality or prevalence of sexting, the practice should raise some obvious red flags for Christians. Paul teaches us that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (see 1 Corinthians 6:19); thus we should not exploit nor objectify our bodies or those of others. The Old Testament Law forbade adultery (specifically between a married woman and a man other than her husband), but Jesus set a higher standard for his followers: "I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matthew 5:28). By Jesus' standard, sexting is an inappropriate means of showing affection.
We don't want to discourage youth from being involved in romantic relationships, but we do want them to express their love and affection in appropriate, safe, and holy ways. Teens need to know that an expectation to take and send racy photos of themselves is not part of a healthy relationship. Further, youth need to be aware of the damage that results when they pass along explicit messages or pictures that have been forwarded to them.
From the February 14, 2010 issue of LinC (Living in Christ)
