What is sexting among teens?
In the modern world of high technology teenagers are learning to grow up with cell phones. Researchers have studied how cell phones and teenage hormones play a normal role in the development of the teens. . Sexting can be associated with a typical adolescent behavior but it is not associated with good or bad mental condition of the person. Sexting can be an open invitation to actual sex behaviors and it may also increase the chances of future sexual behavior.
Research on sexting and teenagers
Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston reveal thatsexting can be associated with a typical adolescent behavior but it is not associated with good or bad mental condition of the person. The findings of this research are the first study published in the Journal Pediatrics on the relationship between teenage sexting that is sending sexually explicit images to others through mobile phones.
The details of the findings in this paper area part of the continuous six year investigation of diverse youngster groups from students of Southeast Texas led by Jeff Temple. He made the teens complete anonymous surveys over the six years, related to their sexting history, sexual activity and other behaviours. They are still not clear whether sexting precedes sexual intercourse or it is vice versa. The research was further reveals that there are cases of being sexually active as high school juniors was slightly higher for youth who sent a sext, or naked picture of themselvesas compared to teens who did not sext. They found no link between sexting and risky sexual behaviours later.
The results of the study indicate that sexting can precede sexual intercourse in some cases, but the researchers failed to find any connection sexting and risky sexual behaviour which clears their idea that sexting is becoming a part of growing up in the recent years.
This study is the first to consider the differences between actively sending a nude picture and asking for a nude picture. It was found that actually sending a sext was the important part of the link between sexting and sexual behaviour, as opposed to asking for a nude picture. According to the scientists, sending a nude picture may be to communicate the level of openness to sexual activity to the recipient. It can also promote a feeling that sex is expected or serve as steps to sexual advances
Report
The report was published from University of Texas, Medical Branch at Galveston on October 6th 2014. The leaders of the research team were Professor Jeff Templeton and a postdoctoral research fellow, Hye Jeong Choi,
This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of Justice.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-10/uotm-tha100214.php
