sexting

Ok, so you will probably wonder why I, at supposedly naiive age of thirteen, am writing a post about explicit text messages. Well, because it is something that has caused me a lot of problems recently, and so I feel I should blog about it!

So, 'sexting', is sending explicit messages and engaging in sexual conversations with someone, but not face to face. It also sometimes includes trading explicit pictures too.

More and more girls, my age and even younger, are feeling the need to engage in these types of conversations, sometimes with complete strangers. Sites like omegle and kik activley encourage this, and it is having serious consequences.

First off, lets talk about omegle. It is a site with the slogan 'talk to strangers!' Does that not strike you as slightly worrying? If not, then pop over there and take a look for yourself. (http://omegle.com/) Once you enter the site, you are given the option to find a random stranger, and talk to them. Either by instant message, or video chat. The first message sent by most people is 'age sex location'. and unsurprisingly, you are usually met back with a response from someone of the opposite sex, similar age and same location. What a coincidence. Personally, I find it scary that sites like this even exist. Talking to people you've never met- the big issue is that you really don't know who's behind that screen! And believe me, these people are pretty dam good at pretending. On omegle, it is even easier for them... you dont need a profile or anything! The sad likelihood is that it is full of dirty old men, with no morals or values.

But what about people you do know? That's relatively safe, right? Wrong. Unfortunately, there are quite a few teenage boys out there who would do anything to get their hands on explicit photos of a girl they know, and have a dirty conversation with them. But once you've sent those messages, that's it. Theres no coming back. You can delete them from your phone, but they can still be tracked. The boy- he can say hes deleted them. He can make you trust him. But the harsh reality is this... boys like to brag. They could (and it is very likely) tell most of their friends. Worse than that, they could forward messages, or even pictures. And then, well I'm pretty sure you know what follows... its been in the media quite recently. Amanda Todd is a prime example. Her story is truly devastating.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all up for a bit of flanter with my boy mates. But, I've experienced how 'sexting' makes you feel, and the aftermath it leaves. I'm not going to go into it, out of respect for the two boys, and embarrassment on my behalf of how stupid I've been. But I'm lucky... the consequences haven't been anywhere near as bad as they could have been!

So girls, before you send that message just think... what am i achieving by this? If you think it will make him like you... you're wrong. That's really not the thing boys look for in a girl, as much as they may act about it. Before you press the send button, just remember... once you do, its out there forever.

Thanks for reading xox