Sexting: Tips and precautions for its safe practice
If you are here, it is because you have heard about sexting on more than one occasion, but you don’t really know what it refers to. Or maybe you know what sexting is, but you are looking for some tips and precautions to practice it safely.
Regardless of what kind of information you are looking for about sexting, you should know that you are in the right place. Throughout this article we are going to show you all the information you are looking for about sexting. This way you will be able to solve all your doubts about this term.
What is sexting?
We can define sexting as a practice in which intimate content is spread through different instant messaging applications. This type of behavior is usually more common among young people, who find this technique as something fun. This means that there are many young people who use sexting, but they do not know very well the consequences it can have.
But it is not only young people who use sexting to share intimate images and content, adults are also taking up the trend.
But regardless of the age of the person, it is important that each person reflects on whether or not to share content. It is important to evaluate the situation thoroughly because once the content has been sent, it will be very difficult to remove it from the network.
Why is sexting common in adolescence?
It has been shown through different studies that sexting is more common in adolescence because it is the time in which the person is in sexual awakening. During that stage the only objective is to try to attract others and through sexting everything seems much easier.
As sexologists point out, sexting has been presented as a simple way for teenagers to filter. They have all the tools and knowledge, hence sexting is seen as a very interesting tactic to flirt and attract others. However, it is important to bear in mind that this technique can cause problems in the medium and long term. For this reason, it is important to teach young people that sexting should not be used as a game, but should be used wisely. It should never be forbidden because that would be a sign that they should do it. It is always necessary to show them the reality so that they can reflect and consequently realize for themselves the risks involved.
Of course, it is important to be clear that sexting is a technique widely used by young people and teenagers, but not all of them practice it. Only a part of them do it and later many of them regret having done it.
Precautions when practicing sexting
It is important to be clear that once we hit the send button we really lose control of the video or image we have shared. It is true that sharing content without the consent of the owner is illegal, but unfortunately it is more common than it seems. To avoid problems, we are going to give you a series of tips when it comes to sexting. This way you will be able to practice it in a safer way and you will not have so many problems.
1- Show the reality of sexting to your children
As we have already mentioned, teenagers are the ones who practice sexting the most and, consequently, they are the ones who can suffer the most from the negative effects of sexting.
To avoid problems, you should have a serious talk with your son or daughter and explain what it is and the problems it can cause. Do not try to force, you should always try to make your son or daughter aware of the problems they may suffer if they do not control this technique.
2- Be careful to whom you send the images or videos.
It is very important to be clear about who you are going to send the off-color content to. It is important not to share compromising information or photos. And if you do, it is very important to do so only with people with whom you have a lot of confidence. Even so, we must be clear that even the person we trust the most can betray us. For this reason, before pressing the send button it is important to be clear that we really want to send it.
3- Use sexting applications
If you are clear about what you want to practice sexting and you want to do it in a safe way, you can use apps that have been created especially for that purpose. Such applications delete data after X amount of time and have many security measures to prevent information theft by third parties.
Another positive point of this type of apps is that they prevent screenshots from being taken, which makes it much more difficult for the other person to save the photo. Even so, there are risks, so you should be careful with the content you send.
4- Do not agree to blackmail
If you have sent a content and then the other person starts to blackmail you, you must take action. It is also important that you show it to your son or daughter. He or she must trust you to solve the problem.
In case of blackmail, we always have to go to the authorities so that they can take the appropriate measures. The police already have a special department dedicated to sexting. Thanks to this department they will be able to solve the problem. The important thing is not to fall into blackmail because it will increase.
5- Do not fall into pressure
It is important to have personality and not to fall into the pressure that your partner may put on you. Even if he/she becomes insistent, you must be strong and refuse to send the images you do not want to send. If your partner really loves you, he/she will have to accept your way of thinking and will have to accept that you don’t want to participate in this game.