Sexting is a relatively recent way of experiencing sex, which means two things: it is practiced mainly by young people, and at the same time there is significant misinformation about everything that surrounds it, which can lead to risks and problems.
In this article We will see what the risks of sexting are and how they can affect us.
As this word suggests from its etymology in English, sexting (sometimes called “sexteo” in Spanish) is the practice of sending and/or receiving sexual content from oneself or the interlocutor through messaging platforms like those currently used in smartphones, in order to produce sexual arousal.
These contents can range from text to photographs and videos, taking into account that the features of currently marketed mobile phones make it very easy to create and instantly share audiovisual material with good technical quality. Now, originally sexting consisted solely of messages due to the technical limitations that existed until not so many years ago, and the concept was formulated for the first time in the early 21st century.
In itself, sexting has nothing inherently bad and it would be absurd to value it morally from Psychology for the simple fact that there is no physical contact between the people involved: it is just another way to enjoy sexuality. However, has a series of associated risks that must be known especially due to the fact that it is an especially common practice in adolescents.
First of all, it is important to highlight that the fact of practicing sexting in itself is not psychologically harmful nor does it have to have a negative impact on the development of young people.
Although currently There is a certain tendency to be afraid of using new technologies (for example, it is insisted over and over again that video games lead children to be violent, even though scientific evidence does not support this belief), in the case of sexting, the possible negative effects of this way of living Sexuality is limited to the possibilities of something bad happening; above all, the dissemination of those images, videos or texts.
Thus, the danger of sexting is a matter of “all or nothing”: either nothing bad happens, or it can lead to psychologically devastating consequences.
Let’s look at a summary of these risks.
1. The other person can use the content to blackmail
It is very important to have a close relationship with the person you are sexting with, since otherwise, we expose ourselves to all kinds of blackmail: the other party is capable of threatening to spread what has been sent. In fact, there are mafias that operate through the Internet to obtain sexual content from their victims.
2. Other people can access these contents
Currently, no chat or photo and video sharing platform offers a 100% guarantee that these contents cannot be accessed by third parties.
Furthermore, most people do not know that relatively short passwords can be easily “bypassed”: There are programs that try all possible combinations until they get it right, so they can solve 7-character passwords in a matter of minutes.
In this way, once the victim has been selected, being able to access their chat profiles and social networks is usually a question of how much time and money you want to invest in “forcing” that entry barrier, unless the password be relatively safe (more than 12 characters and exchanging uppercase, lowercase and numbers).
3. The material obtained can give rise to bullying and cyberbullying
Unfortunately, this type of content is too frequently used as material to fan the flame of bullying among teenagers. For example, a sex video can be shared in group chats of students in a course, post photographs or screenshots around the institute or on social networks, etc. Obviously, in cases like this the chances of suing and winning the trial are very high, but the damage will already be done.
To do?
When it comes to texting, we have two fundamental tools: psychoeducation to prevent incidents and help people protect themselves from attackers, and psychotherapy to treat victims of the dissemination of sexting content.
In the first place, young people are told to understand how delicate and intimate these contents are, that the simple act of sharing those contents without permission or alone is illegal but can seriously harm the mental health of the victim, and that it is very important follow a series of protocols to stay safe from cyberattacks and people with bad intentions who seek to manipulate and deceive to exercise blackmail.
In the case of professional psychological support, people who have suffered attacks using sexting material are helped. overcome your possible traumas or mood or anxiety disorders This process is more complex and lasts several months, but in most cases it is essential for the person to be able to overcome these types of experiences.
Related article: “What is trauma and how does it influence our lives?”
Are you looking for professional psychological support?
If you are interested in psychological assistance services for adults and adolescents, contact me.
My name is Tomás Santa Cecilia and I work from the cognitive-behavioral model applied to individuals, groups and companies. I offer face-to-face sessions in Madrid, and also online by video call.
