Female Body Image In Media Essay

In the US today Americans recently discovered an emerging trend known as adolescent sexting. Sexting has been defined as the sending or receiving of sexually explicit or sexually suggestive images, messages, or video through a cellphone or the Internet; sexting can also be referred to as sending nudes. As Guidance Counselors at a High School it is imperative that we educate ourselves and our students on the consequences sexting may have. Many students fail to realize that once the photos or messages are sent there is no turning back. Those images/messages may be forwarded to audiences via the internet and various social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat etc. causing humiliation, depression and in some cases even causing suicide.

Sexting has been all over the news. Of course its normal for someone to want to send a naughty picture to the significant other, but now we have teens (and even pre-teens) sending nude pictures to get attention from someone of the opposite sex. The pictures usually end up all over the teens school. We live in a new day and age, but most adults would be mortified if a nude picture of them was seen by someone that wasn’t

If a text includes a message that is intended to persuade, induce, entice or coerce a minor to produce a lewd or indecent image, that text is also a felony violation of laws regarding the sexual exploitation of a child. This is true even if both the sender and the recipient are minors. Another possible misconception is the belief that receiving an unsolicited sext image from a minor is not a violation, since it is not possible to know in advance whether a text includes an inappropriate image. The image should be deleted as soon as it is received, otherwise the recipient is in violation of the possession clause of the

Adolescents send messages to others in their schools, groups of friends, and their everyday peers. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy took a survey in 2008 and showed 39% of teenage girls had “sent or posted sexually suggestive messages (or ‘sexts’)” (450). To clarify, this means that young girls are sending naked pictures to people that they are associated with. They also proved 22% of young ladies have used a computerized device to send or upload an unclothed or sensuous photo.

Americans recently discovered an emerging trend known as adolescent sexting. Sexting has been defined as the sending or receiving of sexually explicit or sexually suggestive images, messages, or video through a cellphone or the Internet. Sexting can also be referred to as sending nudes. As Guidance Counselors at a High School it is imperative that we educate ourselves and our students on the consequences sexting may have. Many students fail to realize that once the photos or messages are sent, there is no turning back. Those images/messages may be forwarded to audiences via the internet and various social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat etc, causing humiliation, depression and in some cases even causing suicide.

Some states have enacted laws against sexting that occurs between teenagers, with penalties that aren't as severe as those that apply to an adult who sends illicit images to an underage person. Other states punish sexting under pre-existing laws against child enticement

Parents also need to educate themselves about the problem of "sexting", including the potential issues of this behavior, and the resources which can help them address the issue with their children. (Social Policy Law, 2015)

Selina’s Atlantic article takes the story of a sexting scandal in Louisa, VA to make broader claims about sexting. During the discussion of this article we focused on a variety of reasons for sexting. Such reasons include sharing pictures with a trusted partner and believing that everybody is sexting, thus there is a lack of shame among peers. Additionally, sexting is perceived to be the social norm in high school, thus creating the notion that if you do not sext you are in the wrong and considered to be weird. With such motivations, kids and teenagers do not think about the potential repercussions. However, at least 20 states have passed legislation addressing sexting, but the problem is that these laws do not allow for nuance. As such, teens are labeled as sex

There has been a time in your life or someone that you may already know that have sexted before. Sexting is an act of digitally talking sexually among two people, whether it is texting or sending photos. Which in this case, a few boys have received sexual photos from their female classmates and has been punished by the Administrator. (Name) had issued a way to deal with sexting by teaching the young adults how to sext responsibly. However, Fox News had said it was not fair for only the boys to get punish, but the girls did not. Although the females did not get punish, it is the boy’s fault for sending those sexual photos around. Due to that incident, the victims will eventually come across sexual harassment, insecurity and permanent damage emotionally and mentally.

“Later this month, a North Carolina high school student will appear in a state court and face five child pornography-related charges for engaging in consensual sexting with his girlfriend” (Farivar). While, “Some people may see sexting as an expression of their sexuality…it raises issues of consent, privacy, harassment, and legality” (Sexting). “Sexting is a term created from the combination of the words sex and texting. It refers to the practice of electronically sending sexually explicit images or messages from one person to another. Basically, in layman's terms, if you send and/or receive a nude or semi-nude picture, you are sexting. There are serious consequences that come with this practice” (Rossman). The present-day punishments of underage

Due to the effects of sexuality in the media, more teens are open to sexual acts and at a younger age now. Adolescents are now open to "hook-ups" or friends-with-benefits, where they have "casual sexual encounters at parties and clubs between youngsters who are not emotionally involved with one another" which are influenced by new techology and take away the "first date" which would help put safe sex into the teens minds (Friedman). Some folks are worried that the sex in the media will counteract sex education and do not include problems that having sexual intercourse can bring about. In his article "Sex, Violence and the Media", Charles S. Clark explains:

The mass media refers to means of communicating with large numbers of people without direct personal contract. The mass media is a major source of information and ideas. Theses can shape people’s attitudes and so some degree directs their behaviour. Mass media in this modern time industrial society is a powerful instrument of social control.

Two years ago the word sexting did not exist. The combination of the words “sex” and “text” is now a term that is heavily discussed and causes issues for parents, students, educators, and law enforcement. Although there is no legal definition of sexting, it generally refers to writing sexually explicit messages, taking sexually explicit photos of themselves or others in their peer group and technologically transmitting those photos and/or messages to their peers. Now many people don’t know the problems associated with sexting. Most of these problems occur when one or all parties are minors. When a minor is involved there can be serious consequences that can follow a person for a life time.

Media such as the internet, broadcasting, and publishing is a way to express opinions and keep up to date with the latest fashion trends. While these trends continue to go on, new trends are thought of, the trends may be a little tricky to keep up with even for celebrities. While the thought of being perfect for society, cause many adolescents to breakdown for following the false beliefs of society. Some people may use the media to be updated on important news. On the other hand, others believe the media is a horrible setting, resulting in adolescent to do whatever it takes to become just like them, poisoning their minds to become something they are not. The media produces bad influences for body image and messes with adolescents’ minds.

Negative effects of Mass Media for teenagers,  The exposure of sex images and excessive portraits of violence in movies and dramas have instilled negative thoughts and taboos in the mind of these teenagers for they have been consistently getting increased exposure to things which are not suitable for their age.